Pakistan’s university students teach globally

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over 1,250 high school students from over a hundred cities across Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates took part in a weeklong series of virtual, medical research courses organised by Aga Khan University’s Student Research Forum, SRF. 

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted high school education around the world and has given teenage students the time and opportunity to enhance their skills in a variety of areas such as research and academic writing. 

For many participants, this was their first chance to gain an insight into how to conduct research that generates knowledge in novel areas of medicine and helps physicians assess the value of different types of treatment. 

"The world of research can be intimidating to many young students. Cost represents another barrier as online courses on research skills have high registration and certification charges. Through this course, we wanted to help our younger colleagues add another string to their bow and empower them to pursue their passion for research,” Ali Aahil Noorali, a final year student at AKU’s Medical College, and SRF president, observed. 

The free of cost, introductory sessions witnessed students alongside faculty from AKU’s Medical College explain the research process, analytical methods as well as key writing and referencing techniques to younger students. 

"Research is just like an adventure with so many unknowns to discover. Through this course, which is one of the first for pre-university students, we wanted to give more young people the chance to experience the thrill of conducting their own research experiments and the wonderful surprise that comes when you stumble upon an unexpected finding," Maha Inam, a third year student at AKU’s Medical College and SRF’s director of workshops, added. 

The workshop followed a similar series of free of charge, open-to-all introductory research courses aimed at medical university students in June 2020 that was attended by over 3,500 participants from over 30 cities in Pakistan. 

"Clinical medicine and clinical research have a symbiotic relationship. The more you research, the better your clinical practice and the more observations you make during your practice, the better your research. At the end of the day, medicine is a science and not just a profession and that’s why we want to help all students develop their research skills," Asma Merchant, a fourth year student at AKU’s Medical College and SRF’s vice president, " stated. 

The workshops were organised over Zoom livestream in collaboration with AKU’s Office of Student Experience in Pakistan.

Sister Ruth Lewis dies of COVID-19

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sister Ruth Lewis, founding member of Darul Sakoon, a centre for physically challenged people in Karachi, lost her life to COVID-19 at a private hospital on July 20. She had tested positive for coronavirus on July 8. She was 77. 

People from different walks of life have paid glowing tribute to Sister Ruth, hoping that her example and spirit to serve humanity would be sustained. 

She was known to be looking after special children with utmost dedication for more than half a century. 

Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Sindh, expressed deep sorrow over the death, saying that the lady was had selflessly served the helpless people of the society and her services would be remembered for a long time.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh ahead other provinces in deaths, infection

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, in terms of COVID-19 fatalities reported during the month in progress, stood ahead of other three provinces on July 21 when authorities in the country recorded 551 new infections, with 22 related deaths during the last 24 hours.

According to official data, Sindh had in all 664 COVID-19 deaths from July 1 to 21 in its population of 47.88 million, as such its deaths per million came as 14, against six of KPK, three of Punjab, and one of Balochistan for the same period. 

Pakistan’s death/per million remained six during July. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily COVID-19 statement on July 21, remarked that 6,676 samples were tested during the last 24 hours across the province, out of which 551 were detected positive for the virus. Sindh has tested 656,593 samples so far, with a positivity rate of 17%. 

According to the Chief Minister, with 22 more deaths of the coronavirus infected patients, the overall tally of COVID fatalities has reached to 2,041.

However, neither he nor the provincial health department gave any district-wise breakdown of the newly occurred deaths.

As per a federal government dashboard, Sindh had witnessed the maximum 14,027 patients having recovered from COVID-19 on July 17, which gradually decreased to 1,365 on July 21.

During the last 24 hours, Karachi registered 324 new cases, followed by Hyderabad (36), Khairpur (20), Shaheed Benazirabad (20), Shikarpur (17), Sukkur (12), Ghotki (10), Larkana (9), Tando Mohammad Khan (9), Kambar Shahdadkot (6), Jamshoro (3), Thatta (3), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (2), Tando Allahyar (2), Sanghar (2), Tharparkar (2), Badin (1), Naushero Feroze (1) and Mirpurkhas (1).

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference on July 21, the spokesperson of Sindh Government, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, observed that the spread of COVID-19 was being controlled with the cooperation of the people of Sindh.

“The Sindh government's strategy to curb the spread of corona has been successful,” he added while presenting the statistics of people infected with the corona virus.

According to him until July 21, the number of cases of coronavirus was about 113,000 while the number in other provinces was very low.

He added that 450,000 tests have been done in Sindh while Punjab which has many times more population than Sindh has undergone about four lakh corona virus tests.

“Sindh also has a high recovery rate among patients infected with the corona virus. Eighty two per cent of patients have recovered in Sindh, while the number is much lower in Punjab and other provinces,” he pointed out.

He further said that the death rate of patients from COVID-19 was also lower than all other provinces in Sindh.

“The statistics show that the Sindh government's strategy regarding coronavirus has been successful,” he reckoned.

Two billion mangroves sapling planted in Sindh coastal areas

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over two billion saplings of mangroves have been planted in coastal belts of Sindh. 

For the first time the data of plantation is being computerized in the province, the Sindh Minister for Forest and Information, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, disclosed while talking to various delegations here July 21. 

He pointed out through this plan an income of Rupees 10 billion would be generated that would be spent on the welfare of the masses.