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Voluntary blood donors a must for safe transfusion: PMA

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Association calls for sustainable blood supply, urges end to replacement system IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Sunday called for a shift from Pakistan’s reliance on replacement blood donors to a sustainable voluntary donation system, warning that gaps in safe blood supply continue to undermine healthcare delivery across the country. Marking World Blood Donor Day (June 14), the association said voluntary, unpaid donors remained the backbone of safe transfusion services and were essential for ensuring a consistent and infection-free blood supply. In a statement issued on the occasion, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said thousands of patients, including women suffering severe postpartum haemorrhage, cancer patients, trauma victims and those undergoing major surgeries, depend on timely access to safe blood and blood products. Referring to this year’s World Health Organization theme, “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives” , the as...
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Doctors warn of new protest movement over safety, pay

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PIMA seminar hears calls for protection laws, salary hikes, and action against hospital harassment after acid attack on Dr Mahnoor IV Report KARACHI: Citing a deteriorating and insecure work environment, medical leaders warned of a new protest movement over safety and pay at a PIMA seminar in Karachi on Saturday, demanding legal protection, workplace reforms, and salary increases for healthcare staff. The seminar titled “From Whom Should Healers Seek Healing?” was held in protest against the acid attack on Dr Mahnoor and the rising incidents of harassment faced by doctors and healthcare workers in hospitals, according to a press release. The event was presided over by PIMA Central President Dr Atif Hafeez Siddiqui and PIMA Women Wing Central President Dr Zakia Aurangzeb. Healthcare under control of capitalists   PIMA President Dr Siddiqui said the healthcare sector had come under the control of capitalists and industrialists, limiting ordinary citizens’ access to qualit...
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KU financial logjam: Senate’s moment to act

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Full disclosure, external audit, and dual-track negotiations with Sindh and Islamabad: a gimmick-free way out of KU’s financial impasse. COMMENTARY By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: The University of Karachi stands at a tipping point. Faculty and employees are staging protests over long-due payments, exposing a crisis that is no longer hidden in budget footnotes. The Senate, as the university’s supreme governing body under the KU Act 1972, has the mandate and the moment to convene an emergency meeting and steer a gimmick-free path forward. Where the crisis comes from KU’s recurring deficit stems from three gaps. First, the Sindh Government’s grant rose 15% for FY 2025-26, but it still lags inflation and the pension bill, which now consumes a growing share of recurring funds. Second, federal HEC funding covers only project and research grants after devolution; it does not fund KU’s salary bill, leaving the university dependent on provincial transfers. Third, internal revenue collection...
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PMA challenges CPSP over stipend enforcement

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Doctors' body proposes reporting portal, audits and sanctions for non-compliant institutions IV Report KARACHI: Welcoming a recent notification by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) on trainee stipends, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the college to ensure strict and transparent enforcement of the policy through concrete measures rather than routine directives. In a letter addressed to the CPSP on June 1, the PMA said notifications without effective implementation were "meaningless" and called for a robust enforcement mechanism to ensure FCPS and MCPS trainees receive their mandated stipends. A copy of the letter was also shared on social media. The association acknowledged the CPSP's May 30, 2026 notification on stipend compliance but expressed concern over what it described as the absence of a transparent implementation framework. It said postgraduate residents continued to face discrimination, payment delays and denial o...
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CPSP warns institutions over stipend violations

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Non-compliant institutes may lose eligibility for July trainee inductions KARACHI: The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) has directed its affiliated institutes and hospitals to ensure the timely payment of fixed monthly stipends to FCPS and MCPS trainees, warning that non-compliant institutions will not be allowed to induct new trainees from July 2026. According to a CPSP communication, compliance with the stipend policy is mandatory for the continuation of institutional accreditation. “Institutions failing to implement the notified stipend policy may adversely affect their accreditation status,” it said. In a notification issued on May 30, CPSP Secretary Prof Irshad Waheed said it had come to the notice of the competent authorities that certain institutions and hospitals were not complying with CPSP guidelines and standard operating procedures regarding the payment of stipends to trainees, despite repeated instructions. The defaulting institutions have been di...
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Health groups warn of heavy toll from tobacco use

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Advocates urge stronger enforcement of tobacco control laws, citing thousands of preventable deaths annually IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Chest Society (PCS) and the Tobacco Free Cities Coalition (TFCC) have warned that tobacco-related diseases are responsible for an estimated 164,000 deaths annually in Pakistan, a toll they say exceeds the combined mortality from tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and road traffic accidents. The organisations described tobacco use as a major public health challenge and urged authorities to strengthen enforcement of tobacco control laws. “An estimated 164,000 Pakistanis die each year from diseases caused by tobacco use,” said Prof Javaid Ahmed Khan, president of PCS Sindh. “This number exceeds the annual mortality from tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and road traffic crashes combined.” He said tobacco remains a leading risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, while also contributing to complications a...
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Pakistan faces renewed calls to end obstetric fistula

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Experts cite rural healthcare gaps, stillbirth risks, and delayed treatment IV Report KARACHI: Health experts, surgeons, and women’s rights advocates have called for urgent investment in maternal healthcare and stronger rural obstetric services to eliminate obstetric fistula in Pakistan, warning that thousands of women continue to suffer from one of the world’s most devastating — yet preventable — childbirth injuries. The call was made during separate events held in Karachi on May 23 to mark the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 2026 under the theme, “Her Health Is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries.” Speakers stressed that timely maternity care, skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric services, and community awareness were essential to preventing avoidable childbirth injuries and maternal deaths. The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) observed World Obstetric Fistula Day with an awareness session, where experts highlighted...
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