Category: Health & Safety

Islamabad, The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has initiated a series of bioethics symposiums aimed at educating health practitioners on ethical practices consistent with Islamic teachings. These events recently took place in Mardan and Peshawar, focusing on crucial ethical aspects within the medical field.

According to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, the symposium in Mardan was held at the Bacha Khan Medical College/Mardan Medical Complex under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Amjad Ali, Dean and CEO of BKMC. The event featured prominent guest speakers including Prof. Dr. Abdul Aziz Zia discussing doctors-pharma relations, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tayyab on gender interaction in the medical profession, and Prof. Dr. Fazal Wahab on Haram and Halal in medicine.

Another symposium was organized at the Rehman Medical Institute (RMI) in Peshawar. The speakers at this event covered important topics such as ‘Medical Ethics and the Role of Muslim Doctors’ by Prof. Dr. Najeeb Ul Haq, ‘Gender Interaction in the Medical Field’ by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tayyab, and ‘Doctor and Pharma Relationship’ by Dr. Abdul Aziz Zia.

The symposiums have been highly appreciated by attendees, which included faculty members and male and female doctors. These events are part of PIMA’s ongoing efforts to integrate ethical and Islamic values into medical practices, ensuring that healthcare professionals in Pakistan are well-versed in both medical ethics and religious teachings.

Rawalpindi, Al-Shifa Trust, a prominent healthcare organization in Pakistan, has intensified its efforts to combat eye diseases and prevent blindness, especially in the nation’s remote areas. This year marked a significant increase in the number of eye camps organized by the trust, reflecting its commitment to this cause.

According to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Major General (Retd) Rehmat Khan, President of the Al-Shifa Trust, announced during a media briefing that the trust established 500 eye camps in various remote areas of Pakistan, representing a 30 percent increase from the previous year. These camps included 400 general eye screening camps, 40 school screening camps, and 55 surgical eye camps.

Major General Khan highlighted the crucial support from sponsors like Qatar Charity, OGDCL, PPL, AFNA, the Pakistan Army, and the Rupani Foundation, which funded two eye camps. He pointed out that the trust’s outreach program is the largest in the country, extending to distant regions such as Gawadar, Pasni, and the impoverished districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Over the past year, these camps treated more than half a million patients, restoring the vision of thousands of impoverished individuals who otherwise lacked access to hospital care. The Pakistan Army’s support was particularly noteworthy, providing food, lodging, and other essentials in South and North Waziristan, thus facilitating general eye care and surgical services for locals.

Despite the challenges of setting up surgical eye camps in rural areas, the trust remains dedicated to fighting blindness. Over 125,000 schoolchildren were screened for various eye

conditions, and 6,000 of them received free glasses. This effort marks a substantial increase in the trust’s impact and reach.

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital operates in Rawalpindi, Kohat, Sukkar, and Muzaffarabad, handling complex cases from remote areas. The trust’s outreach initiative, which began in 1992, has been consistently expanding its free eye camps across Pakistan.

The Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology is working to increase the number of free eye camps annually in remote areas where most patients lack access to quality healthcare. With eye-related problems rising at an alarming rate, Major General Khan emphasized the need for increased efforts from both public and private entities to address this growing health concern.

The work of Al-Shifa Trust highlights the critical role of healthcare organizations in providing essential services to underprivileged and remote communities, thereby contributing significantly to the nation’s overall health and well-being.

Karachi, The HIV Research Trust has launched its scholarship program for 2024, designed to support early to mid-career researchers in resource-limited settings. This initiative focuses on enhancing global research efforts in the field of HIV infection by providing essential funding for academic development.

According to Pak NGOs, the HIV Research Trust Scholarships are aimed at enabling researchers to travel internationally to gain new skills and techniques at host institutions. These experiences are intended to benefit not only the individual’s career development but also to add capacity to their home institutions. The scholarship covers a wide range of academic pursuits, including clinical management, trial experience, data management, statistical expertise, and acquisition of laboratory techniques in cell and molecular biology.

The funding available for each scholarship is capped at a maximum of £10,000 GBP. Applications requesting funds beyond this limit will be automatically rejected. The scholarship covers various costs associated with academic development, including tuition and laboratory fees, consumables, shipping, international visas, travel expenses, and subsistence for long-distance travel. However, it does not cover the purchase of equipment or textbooks, nor does it support subsistence costs for local scholarships not requiring travel over 50 kilometers from the home institution.

To be eligible for this scholarship, candidates must be early to mid-career researchers based in resource-limited settings as defined by the World Bank. A key requirement for international scholarships is the procurement of a visa, and funding will be contingent upon visa approval, barring any upfront costs related to visa acquisition.

The deadline for applications for the HIV Research Trust Scholarships is set for March 31, 2024. This program represents a significant opportunity for researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS to advance their careers while contributing valuable knowledge and skills to their home countries and institutions.

Islamabad, The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has successfully concluded its biennial provincial elections, resulting in the selection of new presidents and executive council members through a process of secret balloting by its members.

According to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, the elections saw Dr. Asif Mahmood Khokhar being elected as President for Central Punjab, Dr. Noor Hussain Malik for North Punjab, Dr. Hafiz Habib ur Rahman for South Punjab, Dr. Fakhar Alam for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Abdul Rasheed Wahab for Sindh, Dr. Abdul Jabbar for Balochistan, Dr. Muhammad Usman for Azad Kashmir, and Dr. Anayatullah Khan Tahir for Gilgit-Baltistan. These elected office bearers will serve a tenure of two years.

The provincial conventions, which were pivotal in these elections, took place across various locations in Pakistan. They were hosted at notable medical institutions including Faisalabad Medical University in Punjab, Isra Medical University in Hyderabad, Sindh, Saidu Medical College in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and at public venues such as the Quetta Press Club in Balochistan, Rawalakot in Azad Kashmir, and in the city of Gilgit in Gilgit-Baltistan. These conventions not only facilitated the electoral process but also served as platforms for thousands of doctors to engage in knowledge exchange and discuss advancements in medical practices.

This series of elections and conventions underlines PIMA’s commitment to democratic processes within its organization and its role in fostering professional development among medical practitioners across Pakistan.

Lahore, Since its establishment in 2004, Sunshine Trust has been dedicated to transforming the educational landscape for underprivileged children in Lahore, offering them access to quality education and nurturing their potential.

According to Aman Foundation, Sunshine Trust was founded with the vision of creating a world where every child, irrespective of their socio-economic background, can access quality education. The Trust aims to mitigate the divide between deteriorating public-school education and costly private schooling. It focuses on providing contemporary, quality education to out-of-school children, primarily from underprivileged backgrounds, as a means to break the cycle of poverty and enable these children to become productive and respected members of society.

At the core of Sunshine Trust’s philosophy are values of equality, respect, and empowerment. The Trust is committed to providing an inclusive environment where children are treated equally, fostering self-respect and dignity, and empowering them with essential knowledge and skills.

One of the Trust’s flagship projects, Sunshine School, stands as a symbol of hope in the slums of Township Lahore. The school, which aligns its English-medium curriculum with the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) and places an emphasis on science subjects, has made significant strides. It boasts a fully functional science laboratory, a digital learning center, and a playground. Since its inception, Sunshine School has expanded its student body from 150 to over 750 children, many of whom had previously lacked access to formal education.

The Trust’s impact is evident in its achievements. Notably, 70% of the students at Sunshine School study free of cost. Academic success is a hallmark of the school, with 10% of students scoring above 95% in BISE exams and all students consistently passing their matriculation exams. Many alumni have pursued successful careers, a testament to the school’s emphasis on science and critical thinking.

Sunshine Trust’s efforts represent a significant contribution to the community, demonstrating the power of education to transform lives and uplift underprivileged sections of society.

Islamabad, The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has called for urgent international intervention to rescue Gaza’s crumbling health system. In a plea directed to international bodies and countries, PIMA emphasized the dire situation of Palestinian civilians and the deteriorating state of healthcare facilities in the region.

According to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, Dr. Abdul Aziz Memon, the central president of PIMA, highlighted the severe challenges faced by the health sector in Gaza. He reported that the number of active hospitals in the Gaza Strip has drastically reduced from 66 to 11 temporary facilities, which are currently under siege and frequent attacks. These hospitals face critical shortages of medications, medical supplies, fuel, and are grappling with severe water scarcity. Additionally, 110 health centers have been shut down.

Dr. Memon emphasized the grave violations of the Geneva Convention by Israel, citing targeted attacks on Gaza’s hospitals, the killing of over 300 healthcare workers, the arrest of senior doctors, and the destruction of ambulances. He described the situation as unprecedented, with hospitals being systematically deprived of essential resources like fuel, electricity, water, and medical supplies.

The temporary active hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with wounded patients and are struggling to contain the spread of diseases such as stomach ailments, pneumonia, meningitis, and scabies. The scarcity of clean drinking water has escalated the risk of various infectious diseases.

PIMA, representing doctors worldwide, has urged international organizations, including the United Nations, to take immediate actions. These actions include ensuring the continuous operation of hospitals in Gaza, enhancing their functionality by providing essential items like medical supplies and fuel, sending medical personnel, and establishing safe humanitarian corridors for evacuating severely injured and ill individuals.

This call to action from PIMA underscores the critical condition of Gaza’s healthcare system and the urgent need for global support to prevent further humanitarian crises in the region.