Indus Vitals

Think before you share, KU workshop urges social media users. IV Report KARACHI: Emphasising that ethics remain the cornerstone of a civilised society, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi (KU), Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail, on Monday urged people to verify information before sharing it on social media, warning that the unchecked spread of misinformation can have serious social consequences. Speaking at the closing ceremony of a one-day workshop on “Media Literacy and Digital Rights”, jointly organised by the University of Karachi's Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) and the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Dr Tufail said religious teachings clearly instruct people to investigate and confirm the authenticity of news before forwarding it. He regretted that many social media users now circulate information simply to be the first to share it, without verifying its accuracy, describing the practice as both irrespo...

SMBB Institute of Trauma signs MoUs with local institutions; facility expected to reduce referrals to Karachi and strengthen services across northern Sindh IV Report SUKKUR: Sindh's efforts to build an integrated trauma care network reached another milestone on Friday as Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated a 50-bed Trauma & Emergency Response Centre (T&ERC) established by the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma (SMBBIT) in Sukkur. The facility, established at Civil Hospital Sukkur in collaboration with Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, is expected to improve access to specialised trauma and emergency services in northern Sindh while reducing the burden of referrals to Karachi. Ahead of the inauguration, Executive Director of the SMBB Institute of Trauma, Karachi, Dr Muhammad Sabir Memon, accompanied by his team, visited the centre and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Principal Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical Col...

Medical association raises concerns over suspected hospital-linked HIV cases and the growing burden of infections among children and other vulnerable populations. IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called for an immediate judicial inquiry into suspected nosocomial (hospital-acquired) HIV infections allegedly linked to government-run healthcare facilities in Sindh, warning that the increasing number of HIV cases among the general population, including children, has become a matter of serious public concern. In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the PMA expressed alarm over reports of HIV cases associated with treatment received at the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) Landhi Hospital and nearby regional clinics. The association described the situation as a “grave breach of public trust” and urged authorities to determine whether lapses in infection prevention and control contributed to the spread of the virus. The PMA sta...

10m have Hepatitis C and 44% of new global infections from unsafe injections occur in the country IV Report KARACHI: On World Hepatitis Day, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warned that unsafe medical practices are driving Pakistan’s hepatitis epidemic, leaving millions undiagnosed and at risk of fatal liver disease. With no recent official yearly or quarterly government update available, PMA relied on WHO global estimates to highlight the scale of the problem. According to those figures, Pakistan carries the heaviest Hepatitis C burden in the world with an estimated 10 million people living with chronic HCV. Combined with 3.8 million people living with Hepatitis B, a total of 13.8 million Pakistanis are living with chronic viral hepatitis. The human cost is steep. Liver cirrhosis and liver cancer linked to hepatitis claim more than 37,000 lives in Pakistan every year. National prevalence is estimated at 4.8% to 7.5% for Hepatitis C and 1.1% to 1.7% for Hepatitis B. But...

‘PROTECT’ strategy aims to cut 300,000 annual deaths, with majority in LMICs, as climate risks grow GENEVA/ACCRA: For the parents watching children near rivers, wells and water tanks, a moment’s lapse can turn fatal. With nearly 300,000 people dying from drowning each year, the World Health Organization on Thursday launched a new plan to make water safer.                                                                      Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July, WHO released PROTECT, a technical package outlining seven evidence-based strategies for governments and communities. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Drowning is also among the top 10 causes of death for children aged 5–14. The risks are rising with climate change. WHO noted that floods, storms and...

Association cites ‘humiliating’ pay, violence, tax burden and 65,000 drop in MDCAT applicants; demands end-to-end reforms from admissions to job retention or risk ‘total vacuum’ in 10–15 years IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has warned of a collapse in the country’s medical pipeline stretching from college admissions to hospital jobs, saying the profession is being abandoned by both aspiring students and trained doctors due to low pay, insecurity, and what it called systemic state neglect. In an emergency press statement released Thursday, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said Pakistan is “sleepwalking into a devastating healthcare freeze” that could leave millions without doctors within the next decade and a half unless immediate, system-wide reforms are enacted. The association pointed first to medical education. Applicants for this year’s Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) fell by 65,000 — down to 135,000 from over 200,000...