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Karachi’s fire safety problem has many owners -II

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Focus shifts to enforcement, preparedness, and reform pathways By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Having outlined where fire safety frameworks repeatedly falter, stakeholders are now focusing on enforcement discipline, preparedness planning, and pathways for systemic reform. The consensus emerging from interviews suggests that technical solutions exist, but their impact hinges on regulatory continuity, institutional coordination, and governance integrity. Practical measures Zahid Farooq, Joint Director, Urban Resource Centre (URC), places the city’s fire safety crisis within the broader context of resource constraints and governance neglect, noting that fire safety is neither prioritised nor consistently discussed within city administration. He echoes the view that compensation cannot replace accountability, describing it as a temporary relief measure that may win public sympathy but does not absolve authorities of responsibility. Zahid Farooq Farooq advocates practical, citizen-orie...
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Karachi’s fire safety problem has many owners -I

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                                                                                                          A social media video grab Gul Plaza tragedy reinforces public perception that fire safety norms exist only on paper, not on the ground By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI:  As Karachi grappled with yet another deadly blaze in a congested commercial hub — drawing anger, allegations, grief, and renewed questions over failures — stakeholders are holding up mirrors, urging a pause for reflection rather than ritual outrage. The massive fire at Gul Plaza Shopping Centre on MA Jinnah Road on January 19 reportedly claimed over 70 lives, including shopkeepers and customers, leaving the multi-storey complex — housing more than 1,200 ...
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Editorial: Balancing care regulation

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Why Sindh’s healthcare oversight struggles to align standards, authority and support? A recent report published in this newspaper has drawn attention to a troubling paradox at the heart of Sindh’s healthcare regulation i.e. despite having a legal mandate for over a decade, the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) remains unable to effectively regulate public-sector hospitals and clinics. What was envisaged as an independent watchdog for patient safety continues to struggle with delayed administrative backing, overlapping authority, and a lack of sustained political urgency. The law itself is unambiguous. Registration and licensing are mandatory for all healthcare establishments, whether public or private. Yet, as highlighted in the report, while many private facilities—often reluctantly—enter the regulatory net, a vast majority of government-run hospitals and clinics remain outside it. This imbalance not only weakens regulatory credibility but also violates the principle of equal acc...
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Global cholera vaccination moves beyond outbreak response

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Rising global vaccine supply allows resumption of preventive campaigns after a three-year pause KARACHI: Global efforts to prevent cholera have entered a new phase as international health agencies approved the resumption of preventive oral cholera vaccination campaigns after a pause of more than three years, with Mozambique becoming the first country to restart the programme after receiving 3.6 million doses of the vaccine. According to a joint announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF, annual global production of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) has nearly doubled — from 35 million doses in 2022 to almost 70 million doses in 2025 — easing shortages that had forced health authorities worldwide to largely restrict vaccination to outbreak response. The vaccines are financed by Gavi and procured and delivered by UNICEF through the global stockpile. A first allocation of 20 million doses has been approved for preventive campaigns in three...
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KU conference focuses on eco-smart agriculture

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Experts link climate resilience to future food security IV Report KARACHI: Highlighting the growing urgency of climate-resilient food systems, the University of Karachi on Wednesday inaugurated a three-day international conference focusing on eco-smart agriculture and the role of stress-tolerant plants in ensuring future food security. The conference, titled “Eco-Smart Agriculture: Effective Utilization of Stress-Tolerant Plants for Food Security and the Future,” is being organised by the Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation (Dr MAK-ISHU) in collaboration with SZABIST University. Scientists, academics, and researchers from Pakistan and abroad are participating in the event, which opened at the Chinese Teachers’ Memorial Auditorium. Speakers at the inaugural session warned that climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and rapid population growth are placing unprecedented strain on global food systems, making sustainable and climate-...
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NICVD board okays reforms amid funding concerns

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CM-chaired meeting reviews funding shortfall, legal ambiguities, expansion and merger plan IV Report KARACHI: The 84th meeting of the Governing Body of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), held on January 21, approved key administrative and structural measures, including the induction of a full-time Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the initiation of a formal process for the proposed merger of NICVD with the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD). Presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House, the meeting reviewed legal, financial and institutional issues facing NICVD, which currently operates under the administrative and financial control of the Sindh government following the 18th Constitutional Amendment. SICVD, established under a 2019 Sindh law and fully funded by the provincial government, runs multiple cardiac hospitals and 30 chest pain units across Sindh, providing free cardi...
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‘8-10pc of diabetic patients develop foot ulcer complications’

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Diabetes Day marked with awareness walk, seminar; DUHS inaugurates Diabetic Foot Clinic KARACHI: The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) marked World Diabetes Day, which fell on November 14, with an awareness walk and seminar aimed at highlighting the growing burden of diabetes in Pakistan and the importance of early screening. The walk, led by DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof Nazli Hossain, drew a number of students, teachers and staff at the Ojha Campus. Addressing participants, Prof Hossain said Pakistan faces an alarmingly high prevalence of diabetes, with many individuals unaware of their condition. She stressed that timely diagnosis and healthy lifestyle changes can play a vital role in reducing the disease’s impact. Following the walk, a seminar was held at the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE), where healthcare professionals and patients took part in discussions on prevention, complications and management of diabetes. Speaking on the occasion, NIDE D...
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