Posts

KU financial logjam: Senate’s moment to act

Image
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...
1 comment
Read more

PMA challenges CPSP over stipend enforcement

Image
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

CPSP warns institutions over stipend violations

Image
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Health groups warn of heavy toll from tobacco use

Image
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pakistan faces renewed calls to end obstetric fistula

Image
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pakistan loses a towering voice in infectious disease care

Image
Tributes pour in for Karachi physician Dr Naseem Salahuddin, remembered for her work in rabies prevention, HIV care, and humanitarian service By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Senior Karachi-based infectious diseases expert and humanitarian physician Professor Dr Naseem Salahuddin, widely respected for her lifelong services in infectious disease management, rabies prevention, HIV care, tuberculosis treatment, and public health advocacy, passed away after a tragic road accident in Morocco, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from Pakistan’s medical fraternity and international colleagues. “Dr Naseem was the epitome of what a medical professional should aspire to be. She was an exceptionally competent clinician, a thorough academic, and a pioneering force in infectious diseases.” This was stated by the Infection Control Society of Pakistan (ICSP) in a condolence note issued by Prof Dr Rafiq Khanani, Dr Nizam Damani, Dr Hasan Nawab, Dr Khursheed Hashmi, and Dr Saeed Abbasi. The I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Preventable surgical injuries haunt Pakistani women

Image
UNFPA links fistula risk to obstructed labour and poor maternal care KARACHI: Pakistan continues to face a silent but devastating maternal health challenge, as experts warn that obstetric fistula — a preventable childbirth injury — still threatens thousands of women, particularly teenage girls and those lacking access to safe maternity care. In a statement issued on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, Dr Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan, said fistula remained one of the most severe childbirth-related injuries, often leaving women incontinent, socially isolated, and emotionally traumatised. He stressed that the condition was both preventable and treatable, and called for sustained investment in maternal healthcare, surgical safety, and rehabilitation services across Pakistan. According to the statement, nearly 70 per cent of fistula cases in Pakistan are linked to surgical injuries, medically termed iatrogenic fistula, highlighting concerns over the q...
Post a Comment
Read more