Indus Vitals

By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Despite growing awareness and policies on paper, needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) continue to silently endanger healthcare workers across the country. From major public hospitals in Karachi to small private clinics in interior Sindh, experts say this largely underreported occupational hazard remains pervasive, sustained by gaps in training, weak safety cultures, and inconsistent policy enforcement. Interviews with healthcare administrators, public health officials, regulators, and professional associations reveal a consensus: while the risks of NSIs are widely acknowledged, implementation of prevention measures and reporting protocols often lags, particularly in high-pressure and resource-constrained environments. Dr Samreen Sarfaraz A hazard hiding in plain sight “In many Pakistani healthcare settings, there is no structured framework to address sharps injuries,” said Dr Samreen Sarfaraz, Chair of Infection Control Services at the Indus Hospital ...

Medical bodies demand release of pending salaries, improved facilities, and recruitment to revive struggling KMC-run institution. IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), joined by representatives of several other professional bodies, on Saturday (August 30) voiced concern over what they called “inappropriate” remarks made by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab regarding protesting doctors at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation–run Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH). Speaking at a press conference at its headquarters, PIMA leaders, flanked by representatives of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Young Doctors Association (YDA), and doctors affiliated with ASH, presented a detailed set of demands, urging the Sindh government and the KMC administration to urgently address the “grave deterioration” in the hospital’s facilities and resolve the outstanding salary issues faced by junior doctors. The controversy began a day earlier when Mayor Wahab, whil...

New research highlights alarming mental health trends among Pakistan’s retired     community, calling for urgent policy action and social support By Sabahat Muslim KARACHI: A new research study has shed light on the often-overlooked psychological struggles faced by retired individuals in Pakistan, revealing that a significant number of the elderly suffer from varying degrees of depression due to inadequate social support, financial insecurity, and shifting family dynamics. The study was published in the latest issue of the Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry , Ziauddin University. It was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team comprising S Jamil Hussain, Sana Zain, and Muhammad Iqbal Memon of The University of Modern Sciences, Tando Muhammad Khan; Fahad Ul Zain of People's University of Medical & Health Sciences, Nawabshah; Mujeeb Ullah Khan Doutani of Baluchistan Institute of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Quetta; and Jamil Junejo of Liaqu...

Citizen’s forum calls for supra-coordination authority, warns mismanagement and weak governance pose greater threat than monsoon downpours By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Warning that Karachiites may once again face chaos and misery during the upcoming monsoon rains, the Karachi Citizen’s Forum (KCF) has called for the creation of an apex coordination body to guide civic and development agencies in managing the city’s fragile infrastructure. Speaking at a press conference held at the PMA House on August 25, panelists blamed recurring rain-related disasters on mismanagement, governance failures, and lack of accountability. They stressed that the devastation seen after the August 19 downpour was avoidable. “Karachi does not drown because of rainfall alone,” said one speaker. “It drowns because authorities fail to act in time. Had agencies deployed their teams and cleared drains in advance, the system could have absorbed even heavy volumes of water. Instead, excuses were offered while c...

Sindh governor honours top graduates; VC highlights academic gains, research strides, and future plans KARACHI: The University of Karachi (KU) conferred approximately 7,150 regular degrees on the graduates of 2023 batch at its 33 rd Convocation, honouring 244 outstanding students with medals and distinctions. Besides, the university awarded 60 PhD, 32 MPhil, two MS, and one DSc degree to research scholars. The convocation was held on July 15 at the Karachi Expo Centre, with Sindh Governor and KU Chancellor Kamran Khan Tessori as the chief guest. He presented medals and degrees to top graduates alongside KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi. Chairman Sindh Higher Education Commission Dr S M Tariq Rafi, was the guest of honour. According to a KU press release, around 400 graduates—slightly over 5 per cent of the 2023 graduating class—registered for the convocation, while the rest received their degrees in absentia. Addressing the graduates, Tessori reminded them that ...

KARACHI: Vice Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Professor Jahan Ara Hassan, has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Dow Graduates Association of North America (DOGANA). The honour was conferred during DOGANA’s annual summer convention held earlier this month in Dallas, Texas. According to a DUHS press release, the university administration congratulated Prof Hassan on the international recognition, calling it a proud moment for the institution. An alumna of Dow Medical College’s 1989 batch and DUHS’s first PhD graduate, Prof Hassan has dedicated over three decades to medical education, research, and institutional leadership. Speaking after receiving the award, Prof Hassan described the recognition as a deeply meaningful milestone in her professional journey. She dedicated the award to her teachers, colleagues, students, and patients who supported her throughout the years. The press release noted that Prof Hassan is the first HEC-a...

A five-storey building in Karachi’s Lyari area collapsed in the first week of this month, killing 27 people — men and women of all ages — and injuring about a dozen others. It took rescue teams more than 50 hours to complete the operation, amid reports of poor coordination among the various agencies involved. As public outrage grew over the failure of building regulators and civic watchdogs, Sindh chief minister announced that a detailed inquiry had been launched and those responsible would be brought to justice. However, by the time of writing this piece, there was no official update on the findings or actions taken, apart from the suspension of two Building Control officials. Lyari has suffered similar tragedies before: in 2011 and 2020, two major collapses killed 55 people in total, with sporadic incidents reported in other years. Authorities have, from time to time, declared some 480 buildings in Karachi’s old city areas as dangerous or unfit for living, issuing repeated evacua...