Indus Vitals

Despite recurring deaths from a brain-eating amoeba, Karachi’s water safety response remains patchy, reactive—and disturbingly quiet. *SITUATIONER* By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Karachi has now reported its fourth death of the year attributed to Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)—an often-fatal infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri . The latest victim, a 17-year-old boy from North Karachi, passed away at a private hospital on June 28. Health officials confirmed the cause and recorded the death a day before, on June 27. What makes this case particularly troubling is that the teenager, a student, had no known history of swimming, visiting recreational water bodies, or even regular ablution—commonly flagged as risk factors. And yet, beyond the formality of health department confirmation and a few routine updates on social media, the public narrative barely budged. As is often the case, many journalists—myself included—felt some closure once the official machin...

IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has criticised the recent decisions announced by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) regarding the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), calling them ill-conceived, flawed, and harmful to the future of the country’s healthcare workforce. According to a PMDC notification issued earlier this month, starting from the 2025–26 academic session, candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS programmes will only be permitted to sit for the MDCAT within their own province or region, based on domicile. In addition, applicants must now secure a minimum of 65% marks in FSc (Pre-Medical) or an equivalent qualification to be eligible. In a statement issued on June 25, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro urged the PMDC to immediately withdraw the newly introduced criteria and initiate broader reforms in the medical admissions process. He warned that the new measures risk excluding deserving students and fu...

Experts urge stronger screening, public awareness, and policy action By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: A report by the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) has raised alarm over significant prevalence of syphilis among blood donors across the province as the 2024 data shows 1.16% of the total 10,851 screened donors tested positive for the sexually transmitted infection. The highest infection rate was recorded at the Regional Blood Centre (RBC) in Sukkur (2.7%), followed by Shaheed Benazirabad (2.5%), and Jamshoro and Karachi (1.6% each). Overall, the SBTA recorded 13,800 transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) among voluntary and replacement donors in 2024 — a drop from 18,414 cases in 2023. Despite the decline, syphilis cases increased proportionally -- 25.48% of all TTIs, up from 24.39% the previous year. Other TTI rates included hepatitis C (1.9%), hepatitis B (1.5%), HIV (0.1%), and malaria (0.1%). Keen observers are worried that the data highlights potential gaps in scr...

IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has criticised the federal government’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, expressing alarm over what it calls a “massive setback” for the country’s already struggling healthcare system. In a statement issued on June 12, the PMA expressed deep disappointment at the significant reduction in federal health sector funding, following the presentation of the 2025-26 budget in the National Assembly and Senate on June 10. “The government has chosen to inflict a significant blow to our already struggling healthcare system,” the statement read. “We are facing a substantial 16% cut in the federal health budget.” The overall allocation for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSR&C) has been slashed from Rs 54.87 billion in the outgoing fiscal year to Rs 46.10 billion for the next year. Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, Secretary General of PMA (Central), highlighted the most alarming aspec...

Second phase of eDoctor programme aims to engage over 30,000 licensed but inactive women doctors through telemedicine training and virtual clinical practice. KARACHI: The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has launched an initiative under its ongoing online training programmes to motivate and reintegrate thousands of non-practicing female doctors into the medical workforce. This development was shared by various experts associated with the scheme, including Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jehan Ara Hassan, at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club. The speakers noted that 60% of female medical degree holders were currently employed across the country, while another 20% were actively seeking jobs. The training programme—now in its second phase—leverages telemedicine to reach the remaining 20% of qualified female doctors who have remained inactive due to social, familial, or logistical barriers, they ad...

Association says development budget slash will hit hospitals, disease control, and medical education Prof DrAtif Hafeez Siddiqui  IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) has criticised the federal government’s proposed 16% cut in the budgetary allocations for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) for the upcoming financial year, terming it "unjust" amid the country's deepening healthcare crisis. According to the budget document presented before the National Assembly on June 10, the federal allocation for the health sector has been set at Rs46.10 billion for the fiscal year 2025–26 — a significant reduction from the Rs54.87 billion allocated for 2024–25. While operational (non-development) expenditures have been increased, the development component of the health budget has suffered a major blow. The Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) budget for the NHSR&C has been slashed to Rs1...

Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro --IV file photo Doctors warn of mental health toll and potential for social unrest under new penalty regime. IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed opposition to the Sindh government’s decision to impose steep fines on traffic rule violators, warning that the policy could place an undue financial burden on citizens and adversely affect public mental health. In a statement issued on June 11, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro conveyed the association's "grave concern" over the decision, terming it an unsustainable and potentially harmful approach to traffic management issues. The association fears the move may aggravate the law and order situation in the province, rather than improve compliance with traffic regulations. The PMA leadership emphasised that while promoting traffic discipline is important, increasing fines alone is not a viable long-term solution. “The government should focus on sustain...

With rising HIV rates, Sindh faces a worsening crisis driven by data gaps, poor prevention, and systemic neglect. The latest data on officially registered HIV cases over the past 16 months once again underscore a disturbing reality: Sindh, like other provinces, continues to grapple with systemic ineptitude in both prevention and surveillance mechanisms. More than 35 years into the global struggle against this virus, the lack of success raises a haunting question—are we truly committed to combating HIV with the seriousness it demands? The answer, unfortunately, seems to be no. Medical experts have repeatedly warned that HIV is no longer a hidden threat but a full-blown public health crisis. It is steadily escalating, and in the absence of sustained, coordinated interventions, it risks erupting further into a series of uncontrolled epidemics. A recent report published in this newspaper revealed that Sindh has been recording an average of 269 new HIV cases every month since Jan...

Crackdowns planned in major cities as officials warn of no leniency for violators IV Report KARACHI : Senior government officials have announced that from June 15, no leniency will be shown to manufacturers, sellers, or users of plastic bags across Sindh, as the province begins a strict crackdown against plastic pollution. Speaking at a seminar held at the University of Karachi (KU) on June 4 in connection with World Environment Day (June 5), Sindh’s Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Agha Shahnawaz Khan and Director General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Waqar Hussain Phulpoto reaffirmed the provincial government’s resolve to implement a complete ban on plastic carrier bags. They said that crackdowns may be launched in major cities — including Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana and Mirpurkhas — targeting the manufacture, stockpiling, marketing, and use of all types of plastic bags. “Plastic poses severe threats to our ecosystem, and we are ready to act fi...