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Prime Time: The Debate With Ghosts

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If an artificial station has a stance, let its human keeper come and defend it By Mukhtar Alam In the rush to appear modern, Pakistani prime-time television recently hosted an unusual debate. Two artificial characters, presented as female representatives of their respective AI stations, were interviewed on matters of public interest. The segment was called innovation. In journalistic terms, it was a non-event. Technically it was fake, morally it was misleading, and journalistically it had zero news value. To understand why, we must separate two very different uses of Artificial Intelligence in the news world. The first use is AI as a tool. This is now common globally. Since the first experiments around 2018, newsrooms have used AI to reformat long texts into simple language, translate bulletins, generate illustrations where no picture exists, and make statistical projections. The global trend is that serious newsrooms are expanding this backend use while investing more in hu...
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PMA calls for patient-led safety

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                                                                                                                        — EI illustration Ahead of World Patient Safety Day, PMA stresses safe care for life as NCDs cause over 60% deaths IV Report KARACHI: On the eve of World Patient Safety Day, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to healthcare quality and lifelong safety, with a special focus on safe care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In a press release issued Wednesday, PMA aligned its message with this year's twin themes: "Engaging patients for patient safety: Elevate the voice of patients!" and "Safe care for noncommunicable diseases: Safe care f...
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Quitting smoking now part of diabetes care

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World's first guidelines released; quitting no longer just lifestyle advice, doctors get practical roadmap IV Report KARACHI: For millions living with type 2 diabetes in Pakistan, doctors will no longer just tell them to "quit smoking" and leave it there. Quitting must now be treated and supported as part of their medical care itself — not as mere general lifestyle advice. This is the core message of the world's first dedicated international guidelines for smoking cessation in people with type 2 diabetes, released this week. The international consensus recommendations, published in the leading journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, have been developed by 35 experts from 13 countries, including Pakistan. The guidelines provide a practical roadmap for doctors and diabetes clinics on how to help patients stop smoking, manage temporary changes in blood sugar, weight and blood pressure after quitting, and cut the risk of heart attack, stroke and other ser...
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PMA calls for urgent action as dog-bite cases surge in Sindh

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Association cites 285,000 cases reported in 2025 and 21 deaths this year; proposes vaccination and population control, with culling as a last resort, and seeks compensation for dog-bite victims and their families. IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Karachi, has called for urgent measures to control the rising incidence of dog bites and rabies deaths in Sindh, including, as a last resort, “peaceful culling” of stray dogs. At a press conference on Monday, PMA office-bearers cited 285,000 dog-bite cases reported in Sindh during 2025 and 83,000 cases in the first quarter of 2026, besides 21 deaths reported this year. The figures were presented by the association and were not stated as an official government position. PMA Karachi President Dr M Ismail Memon, Senior Vice-President Dr Altaf Hussain Khatri and focal person on dog bites Dr Mirza Azhar Ali said the situation required immediate action, particularly to protect poor families, children and women who w...
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Editorial: Lesson from PIMS

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The Islamabad tragedy should prompt Sindh to examine the gap between healthcare regulation and its enforcement T he fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), in which 14 newborn babies lost their lives, has understandably brought hospital safety and institutional accountability into sharp focus. But beyond the immediate questions of how the fire started and who may be responsible lie a larger question: what happens when the regulatory framework designed to prevent such failures does not function with the consistency and authority intended by law? The reported absence of a fire-safety clearance at PIMS, followed by questions about the performance of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), has made the role of healthcare regulators part of the national conversation. The issue is not simply whether a hospital possesses a licence. A licence, at its most meaningfulness, should signify that minimum standards of safety, infrastructure, staffing, emergency pr...
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Mithi Civil Hospital NICU records 8.9% mortality rate this year

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315 newborn deaths out of 3,535 admissions, hospital serves as referral hub for 3 districts IV Report MITHI: Civil Hospital Mithi’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit recorded a mortality rate of 8.9% in 2026 so far, with 315 newborn deaths recorded through August. The facility averaged 39 fatalities per month during the eight-month period. Official hospital data shows that out of 3,535 total admissions, 2,819 infants or 79.7% recovered and were successfully discharged home. Another 328 cases or 9.3% were referred to better-equipped tertiary centers for advanced treatment. Seventy-three cases or 2.1% were recorded as Left Against Medical Advice. Case breakdown: Of the 315 recorded deaths, 250 were residents of Tharparkar district. The remaining 65 fatalities involved high-risk newborns referred from neighboring districts including Mirpurkhas, Badin and Umerkot. Hospital records state these infants arrived in extremely fragile condition with severe complications, according to offcia...
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Larkana to host certified BLS hub for upper Sindh

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DUHS-SMBBMU MoU aims to train local emergency responders, cut travel for certification IV Report KARACHI: Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a certified Basic Life Support (BLS) training centre in Larkana, according to a DUHS press release. The MoU was signed at the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat, DUHS, Karachi. From DUHS, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nazli Hussain, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sajida Qureshi, Registrar Dr Ashar Afaq, Director PDC Dr Syed Farjad Sultan, Muhammad Irfan, Imran Ahmed and members of the Training Centre team attended. Representing SMBBMU were Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nusrat Shah, Director DHPE Dr Saira Fatima and Training Location Coordinator Dr Muhammad Imran Soomro. According to DUHS high officials, the centre will provide internationally certified BLS training to doctors, nurses, paramedics and students from Larkana and...
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