Indus Vitals

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...