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The Big Picture: Prevent Proactively, or Just React

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In Sindh, especially Karachi, we keep responding to crises instead of building systems that stop them By Mukhtar Alam Every time there’s a fire safety lapse in a big hospital, we have the same conversation. The news cycle runs for 48 hours. Questions are asked. Promises are made. And then, slowly, we go back to business as usual. The recent tragedy at PIMS, Islamabad — where 14 newborns lost their lives — brought that conversation back with painful urgency. We wish wellness and strength to the families affected. But if we look past the headlines, the real question isn’t about one building or one night. It’s about the system that’s supposed to keep thousands of buildings safe every single day. Let’s talk about Sindh. And more specifically, Karachi — because this is where the maximum number of healthcare establishments are located. Both government and private. From small clinics in North Karachi to large tertiary hospitals in Clifton, this city carries the biggest burden of patie...
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Japan eyes foreign students for labour gaps, academic tells HU

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Toyo University professor cites 10,000+ scholarships, part-time work and rising graduate employment IV Report KARACHI: Japan’s ageing population and declining birth rate have created significant labour gaps across multiple sectors, prompting its government and universities to attract more international students, including from Pakistan, a senior visiting Japanese professor said at Hamdard University on Thursday. Prof Dr Susumu Nijema of Toyo University told faculty and students that Japan’s birth rate has fallen far below its death rate, creating personnel shortages “in almost every sector.” “We need young people... because our total population is declining and the average age is rising,” he said. The cultural anthropologist said international students who meet required academic and language qualifications can obtain student visas easily. He added that more than 10,000 scholarships are available, including MEXT government and university-funded programs, with some being fully ...
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Major cardiac care facility opens in North Nazimabad

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Saifee Hospital’s new 11-storey wing adds 75 beds and full range of advanced heart treatment to District Central IV Report KARACHI: Karachi’s healthcare network got a major boost on Saturday evening with the inauguration of an 11-storey dedicated Cardiac Wing at Saifee Hospital in North Nazimabad, District Central. The new wing is designed as a purpose-built centre for comprehensive cardiovascular care, consolidating emergency response, diagnostics, interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, intensive care, inpatient recovery and rehabilitation in one facility. The project was developed under the patronage of Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. It adds significant capacity to a privately run hospital that already serves approximately 360,000 patients annually and nearly 1,000 visitors daily through its emergency and outpatient departments. Construction of the wing began in early 2022. The 11-storey facility has been equipped with ne...
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PMA threatens nationwide protest over PIMS fire deaths

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Association seeks judicial probe, removal of PIMS administration and nationwide safety audit IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), the major representative body of doctors in the country, has threatened nationwide protests if the government fails to accept its demands for accountability and comprehensive safety audits following the deaths of 14 newborns in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, less than 36 hours after the incident, the PMA recalled several other major fire and safety-related incidents in healthcare facilities across the country, arguing that the PIMS tragedy was part of a recurring pattern of administrative and structural failures rather than an isolated event. The association demanded a transparent inquiry into the PIMS management by a serving judge of the highest court, removal of the hospital’s executive administration and other officials responsible for facili...
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Potential of wild olives for economy and environment highlighted

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Book on olives launched as experts link plantation with climate resilience and import substitution IV Report KARACHI: Pakistan could derive substantial economic and environmental benefits from its largely untapped wild olive resources, speakers said at a seminar held at the University of Karachi (KU) on Tuesday to mark National Tree Plantation Day 2026. Organised by the Department of Food Science and Technology in collaboration with United King, the seminar brought together academics, industry representatives and community leaders to discuss how olive cultivation could contribute to foreign exchange earnings, import substitution, climate resilience and sustainable land use. Pakistan’s first book dedicated to olives was also launched on the occasion, according to a KU press release. KU Dean of the Faculty of Science Prof Dr Bilquees Gul said the growing challenges of food and water security required greater attention to non-traditional crops and plants. She suggested that barre...
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Punjab nursing programme partners with AKU

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Five-year collaboration focuses on postgraduate education, faculty development and workforce capacity IV Report LAHORE: A five-year partnership between the Punjab Government’s Nursing & Health Workforce Reform Programme (PNHWRP) and Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is set to focus on postgraduate nursing education, faculty development, curriculum reform and strengthening of the province’s nursing workforce. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between the Programme Implementation Unit of PNHWRP and AKU-SONAM on Wednesday, will support the Punjab Government’s efforts to improve nursing and allied health education under the reform programme, which is being funded by the Asian Development Bank for implementation from 2026 to 2030. A key component of the collaboration will be expanded opportunities for nursing professionals and educators in Punjab to pursue AKU’s Master of Science in Nursing and PhD in Nursing programmes. The partnership also cove...
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Pakistan’s HIV crisis hitting children, SIUT seminar told

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Health experts warn of stigma, unsafe practices and gaps in data as cases among kids triple since 2010 IV Report KARACHI: Pakistan’s HIV epidemic is now infecting children at an alarming rate, health experts said at a seminar on Tuesday, with stigma, weak infection control, and gaps in local data cited as key challenges. The seminar, titled “Nothing about Us, Without Us: Ethical Responses to the Evolving HIV Epidemic in Pakistan: Regional and Global Implications”, was organised by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation’s Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture in collaboration with the World Health Organisation Eastern Mediterranean Region, according to a SIUT press release. The discussion was particularly significant, the release stated, as Pakistan is experiencing a rapidly growing HIV epidemic. Citing WHO reporting, SIUT noted that new HIV cases among children aged 0–14 years increased from 530 in 2010 to around 1,800 in 2023. The session began with welcome add...
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