Category: Karachi

Karachi: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government was committed to ensure optimum healthcare facilities to people, as these were the foundation for a thriving society and hallmark of clinical excellence, professionalism and ethics.

Addressing at the launching ceremony of the AKU Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines AKU Auditorium, the PM said

it was a honour and privilege to be here at the Aga Khan University, a beacon of knowledge and innovation with its unwavering commitment to excellence in medical education, research, and patient care.

The launch of the AKU Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines was a landmark achievement that reflected this institution's resolve to elevate standards of healthcare, he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also commended the legacy of the Aga Khan family towards supporting initiatives for the social and economic uplift of our country.

He said AKU's Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines was a valuable resource that could serve as a guiding manual for hospitals and health facilities to provide people with the high-quality, evidence-based care they deserve, which was also the vision of his government.

He expressed the optimism that the University would continue to work closely with government institutions and professional organizations to ensure that such practice guidelines were widely distributed and readily accessible.

The Prime Minister said country's healthcare system was unfortunately riddled with many hurdles and challenges, such as limited access to quality care in rural areas, shortages of skilled professionals, and the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The quality healthcare for all Pakistanis had always been a critical priority for him, as reflected in Punjab's exemplary track record during his tenure as Chief Minister, he said, adding "from establishing world-class tertiary care hospitals like

Sheikh Zayed to equipping every district with advanced diagnostic tools such as MRI machines, we made significant strides."

He said Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI) had also been launched, with the aim to provide advanced care, promote prevention, offer top-tier education, and foster research to bridge science and clinical practice for all, irrespective of specific distinctions.

He said PKLI was the first public sector hospital in South Asia to achieve the highest accreditation in healthcare awarded by Joint Commission International (JCI). More than 1200 kidney and liver transplants have been performed successfully to date, with 75% of the patients receiving free or subsidized treatment, he added.

He said "institutions of global standards and international prestige like AKU and PKLI give us hope, bridging the gap between the many challenges we face and solutions we need, and empowering our healthcare system to evolve and respond to the needs of every citizen."

PM Shehbaz said "in today's rapidly advancing world, the integration of modern technology, artificial intelligence, and tele-medicine into healthcare is no longer a luxury - it is a necessity." "By embedding the best practices outlined in this manual into these advancements, we can revolutionize patient care, expand access to remote regions, and enhance outcomes for millions of Pakistanis," he added.

The Prime Minister said he firmly believed that partnerships and collaborations between visionary institutions like Aga Khan University and the public sector were pivotal for transforming the healthcare landscape of Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the authors, researchers and contributors of this manual and said the AKU team's hard work and dedication to improving clinical practices will have a lasting impact on Pakistan's healthcare system. "These efforts are investments in our nation's future - a future where every citizen, regardless of their background, has access to affordable healthcare."

He said the Aga Khan University had established itself as a shining example of what can be achieved with vision, passion, and perseverance.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the AKU Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines, a groundbreaking resource, tailored to Pakistan's diverse healthcare landscape.

The launch event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Governor Sindh Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federak Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommmunication Shaza Fatima Khwaja, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Coordinator to Prime Minister on National Health Services on Regulation and Coordination Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Chairman of the Aga Khan University Board of Trustees Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, Zakir Mahmood and President Aga Khan University (AKU) Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of Aga Khan University (AKU).

This manual reflects years of rigorous research and dedication to address Pakistan's lack of standardised clinical practice guidelines. Using the GRADE-ADOLOPMENT methodology, it integrates global best practices with local expertise to ensure relevance. The initiative seeks to improve patient outcomes, reduce burden on tertiary care system, and strengthen the country's healthcare infrastructure.

President AKU Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin and Dr. Adil Haider and Dean of AKU's Medical College and Editor-in-Chief of the manual also spoke on the occasion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, State Minister Pervez Malik, Coordinator to PM on Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Bhart, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, President Aga Khan Foundation Sultan Ali Alana and experts in health sector were present on the occasion.

Karachi: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan has attained favourable macroeconomic indicators and now it is incumbent upon government functionaries, investors, exporters, and all stakeholders to collaborate synergistically for further strengthening the economy while the comprehensive integration of the entire economy via an e-governance system would be executed.

He said this while sharing his views at the inauguration ceremony of Faceless Customs Assessment System (Central Appraising Unit), at South Asia Terminals Pakistan (SAPT), during his day-long visit to the port city.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance, Revenue, and Power, Ali Perez Malik and other notables were also present on the occasion.

He said that the macroeconomic indicators like our exports which increased by 11 percent while the Information Technology - IT Exports that registered 34 percent increase, are positive.

The prime minister congratulated the Finance Minister, FBR, Karachi Port and the Customs department on behalf of the government on the successful launching of Faceless Customs Assessment System.

He also lauded the young officers of the Customs Department and said they are serving Pakistan and this is after 77 years that these officers have achieved the accomplishment that the nation expected and whose occurrence was an inevitable process for the economic development and prosperity of the country. Now faceless interaction between importers and the Customs department officials has started, he appreciated.

He said that with the launching of this project, now the Goods Declarations time of a consignment is 10 minutes and if there are more than one items are part of the consignment, it may take 15 to 20 minutes.

The prime minister said that it is very gratifying that in just three weeks, the Bill Of Entry (BOE) time has been reduced from 42 hours to 19 hours during the experimental phase of this project. The average BOE time of 19 hours is a great achievement and it is hoped that the target of 12 hours average time, as per target assigned by him, will also be achieved with further improvement. The Feel Good Factor of importers regarding this project is 88 percent, which is very good, he noted.

He suggested that the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, who were also in attendance, should conduct a third-party evaluation of this project through the IT experts.

He said that in the last nine months, the focus on FBR Reforms, are yielding good results.

He said that the officials and staff of the Customs department who will make additional recovery with their honesty, dedication and hard work, will also be considered for giving 10 percent cash reward of the total recovery, and a formula would be devised for it.

PM said that we have already achieved the revenue target that we had set for this fiscal year under the commitment with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He said that we also have to reduce electricity prices and we will also talk to the provinces in this regard so that the provinces are also given responsibility.

He said that until the price of electricity per unit does not come down to Rs 15 to 20 per unit, agriculture and exports cannot develop.

Earlier, the prime minister visited the Faceless Customs Assessment System (Central Appraising Unit), at the SAPT here.

Karachi: Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Karachi and Dimension Research Clinical Research Organization and Site Management Organization (CRO and SMO) on Wednesday inked the memorandum of understanding to foster collaboration in delivering specialized clinical research training of specialized clinical research training through the Clinical Research Certificate Program (CRCP), targeting healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals.

This initiative focuses on equipping participants with the skills to conduct high-quality clinical trials while adhering to international compliance standards, enhancing pharmaceutical education and industry practices in Pakistan.

The MoU encompass curriculum development, training delivery, adherence to international guidelines, and professional skill-building.

The program is open to healthcare professionals and students in clinical, pharmaceutical, or biological sciences, including MDs, MBBS, BDS, pharmacists (B.Pharm/Pharm.D), M.Sc. graduates in biological sciences, and registered nurses (BSN).

It is specifically designed to prepare participants for careers as Clinical Research Associates (CRA).

As per the MoU, both partners will join their hands in imparting clinical research training and aims to provide necessary training in clinical research to prospective clinical professionals and students hailing from healthcare, pharmaceutical industry and the biological sciences.

The core curriculum will be developed by both the parties and will emphasize on producing Certified Clinical Research Professionals trained in Good Clinical Practices (GCP) conforming to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines.

Both partners will design a professional development training programs to produce highly skilled individuals to fill positions in the pharmaceutical industries as 'Clinical Research Associates' (CRA) and will lead to a more clinically efficient and productive workforce. The name of the course will be titled as 'CRCP'.

The partnership will focus primarily on students and professionals with a background and interest in clinical research; especially those associated with the clinical, pharmaceutical and biological sciences.

Students who have attained/completed 16 years of education will be ideally suited for this training program.

They will develop a unique training program to accommodate both industry specific needs and skills and practical clinical trial experience.

This program will be designed to provide training in ICH GCP guidelines, clinical trial monitoring, investigative site coordination, knowledge and understanding of ICH GCP.

The CRCP course will be launched for the minimum batch size of 30 participants.

The KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and the Chief Executive Officer Dimension Research CRO and SMO, Karachi Muhammad Khurram Zaki Khan inked the MoU documents at the VC Secretariat.

The KU Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr Shaista Tabassum, Dean of Faculty of Science Professor Dr Musarrat Jahan Yousuf, Dean of Faculty of Islamic Studies Professor Dr Zahid Ali Zahidi, Dean of Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences Professor Dr Zaeema Asrar Mohiuddin, Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, faculty members of the departments of pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology, and Director of Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization Dr Syeda Hoor Ul Ain and team, and office bearers of Dimension Research CRO and SMO, Karachi were also present on this occasion.

Karachi: American playwright Arthur Miller’s classic play, Death of a Salesman, opened in Urdu for five nights at NAPA’s Zia Mohyeddin Theater on Wednesday. The palay was translated into Urdu by Mujtaba Zaidi.

The play, an acclaimed tragedy, has been directed by Faizan Chawla, a NAPA graduate. The play features Usama Khan as Willy Loman, Safia Bhalaishia as Linda Loman, and Ashmal Lalwany as Happy Loman.

Karachi: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived here in Karachi on a day long visit on Wednesday.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and top government officials welcomed the prime minister upon his arrival here at Faisal Air base.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State Ali Pervez Malik are also accompanying the prime minister.

Karachi: The Students' Guidance, Counseling and Placement Bureau of the University of Karachi and FES Higher Education Consultants signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to establish an understanding of a working relationship for career counseling, maximizing academic and professional opportunities for the students of the University of Karachi, and enhancing their learning and entrepreneurial experiences.

As per the MoU, both parties committed to empower students in their pursuit of academic and professional goals by offering educational guidance, raising awareness, sharing essential knowledge and skills.

The collaboration aims to strengthen career counseling frameworks and development systems, enhancing the employability and job readiness of students.

According to the MoU, the FES Consultants will support initiatives aimed at enhancing the professional development of faculty and the skills of students. The objective is to improve the quality of learning outcomes and the overall educational experience.

The MoU seeks to establish and foster collaborations with foreign universities, enabling joint efforts in teaching, learning, and research.

The parties will actively explore opportunities to launch joint projects, events, and initiatives of mutual interest, benefiting both institutions and promoting academic and research innovation.

The KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Professor Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and the FES Consultants Director Dr Syed Touqeer Shah inked the MoU documents at the VC Secretariat.

The KU Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr Shaista Tabassum, Dean of Faculty of Islamic Studies Professor Dr Zahid Ali Zahidi, Dean of Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences Professor Dr Zaeema Asrar Mohiuddin, in-charge SGCPB Dr Ghazal Khawaja Hummayun, Students Advisor Dr Nosheen Raza, International Students Advisor Dr Shumaila Shafkat Ali, Director of Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization Dr Syeda Hoor-Ul-Ain and others and Co-Founder FES Consultants Tasadaq Hussain Shah, Business Development and Training Manager Sanila Noor, Branch Manager Asher Sohail, Marketing Officer Fiza Rana, Marketing Officer Ahmer Fida, and others were present on this occasion.