Category: Health

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The cardiology and electrophysiology team at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) performed a low-risk, new technology procedure for atrial fibrillation, early this month.

With a prevalence of about 1% to 4% in the general population, atrial fibrillation is a common but high-risk heart rhythm problem, in which the heart beats too fast and irregularly due to improper electrical impulses. It is a crucial risk factor for stroke if not treated appropriately and timely.

Although treatment of heart rhythm problems is a regular occurrence at AKUH, the use of this new technology is testament to AKUH’s ongoing commitment to providing safe and quality healthcare services to our patients.

Dr Yawer Saeed, Assistant Professor and Consultant, Cardiology and Electrophysiology, led the procedure. His diverse team of cardiology, electrophysiology, and radiology technicians spent months before the procedure to learn its complete management and operation.

The technology, which is relatively new in Pakistan, is more effective, quicker and safer for patients compared to the old technology for atrial fibrillation ablation. “The latest procedure takes two to three hours, and the patient can return to work or drive after one week of the procedure,” Dr Saeed stated, adding that both procedure and recovery time has been reduced considerably. Patients seeking care for atrial fibrillation at AKUH have the benefit of multidisciplinary team to effectively manage this complex heart condition.

Patients’ needs and comfort are at the centre of everything that we do at AKUH. The new technology has paved the way for atrial fibrillation patients seeking care here and for cardiologists from Pakistan and across the world to get trained at AKUH.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Mondelēz Pakistan steps up response to Covid-19 In accordance with the health and safety guidelines, Mondelēz Pakistan, one of Pakistan’s leading confectionery companies,has announced the completion of its COVID-19 vaccination drive. As a result more than 70% of its workforce at the Hub plants has been fully vaccinated to tackle the pandemic.The vaccination camp was set up at the Confectionary Plant in HUB where employees voluntarily opted to get vaccinated. The camp facilitated employees from both Confectionery and Tang plants in collaboration with an NGO – Burhani Diagnostics.

The employees who have been vaccinated comprise of the management staff, core workers, drivers, security staff and even their vendors.The drive was carried out in compliance with the guidelines of the government over a three month period ensuring the vaccination of the employees. Another round of the camp is planned which aims to complete the vaccinations for the remaining employees. “Mondelēz Pakistan at its coreis concerned about the health and safety of their employees and aims to take all necessary measures to ensure their wellbeing. We value each team member and the role they play towards successfully managing business in these testing times. I am proud to state that my team has been cooperative and cautious towards handling the COVID-19 situation and taken all precautions to reduce the impact. This successful vaccination drive is a testament to that and as a resultmore than 70% of our workforce is now fully vaccinated at the Hub plants.

Taking the opportunity, I would especially like to appreciate the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordinationfor availing the vaccines and the NGO – Burhani Diagnostics for extending their support to us for the seamless execution of the vaccination drive” stated Ms. Narmeen Khan, Managing Director Pakistan, Mondelēz International.

Apart from the vaccination drive, Mondelēz International has taken up a global awareness initiative for COVID-19 where several sessions have been conducted and core employees were encouraged through different meeting channels. Adding to the global aim of the organisation, a locally arranged COVID-19 awareness session was conducted for the employees where a renowned public health expert.

Dr. Kamran Iqbal, elaborated on the entire pandemic situation, the necessary measures that must be taken, the vaccinations and how they offer protection and overall how it must be dealt with. Dr. Kamran Iqbal, Public Health Expert & Bernard Lown Scholar at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health expressed “It was a pleasure to connect with team Mondelēz Pakistan to deliver the COVID-19 Awareness Session explaining the gravity of the situation on hand. The session turned out to be extremely valuable due to the cross communication and interest of the audience. I was delighted to see that the participants were curious, concerned and inquired about various aspects that could affect themselves and the people around them at workplace.”

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  Dawood Global Foundation collaborated with Chughtai Health, to host LADIESFUND Mammogram #LFMammogram, a breast awareness session where women were invited to learn about the disease from doctors, hear from our breast cancer survivor, as well as each attendee received a free mammogram certificate enabling them to get tested for breast cancer, which is recommended for every woman annually after 45.

Masarrat Misbah was Chief Guest and Huma Ali, Breast Cancer Survivor, Special Guest, along with Chughtai Lab doctors. Almost 150 women attended this community event, including women from the State Bank of Pakistan, Bank Islami, PSO, Karachi Electric, Dawood Family Takaful Ltd., Ernst & Young, and a host of corporates, as well as women entrepreneurs. Depilex was beauty partner for the event and Edenrobe gift partner.

 

Since the first international launches in early 2021, the vaccine has helped prevent hundreds of thousands of hospitalisations and helped save tens of thousands of lives.1.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Committed to its vision of empowering societies, Telenor Pakistan, via its Velocity programme, has partnered with Sehat Kahani – a telehealth startup that aims to democratise access to quality and affordable healthcare. Offering accessible and affordable telemedicine services through e-clinics and a mobile application, Sehat Kahani offers professional consultations through video calls for added peace of mind. Telenor Pakistan continues to work towards the Digital Pakistan vision by helping startups like Sehat Kahani reach further and higher than ever before. 

In Pakistan, many people still lack adequate healthcare because of a severe shortage of qualified doctors in their vicinity; there are 1,700 patients in need of care for every doctor around the country. The situation was further aggravated with the onset of Covid-19 for the entire health sector. But the digital adoption and acceleration towards towards telemedicine is making up for the shortcomings of traditional healthcare.

Telenor Pakistan plays a pivotal role in allowing its customers access to the best quality healthcare anytime and anywhere. They can download the Sehat Kahani  app and benefit from an around-the-clock video consultation with general practitioners, specialists and mental health and wellness experts. The e-prescriptions are readily available and the payment is possible through their mobile balance at subsidised rates.

Commenting on the development, Chief Operating Officer Telenor Pakistan, Khurrum Ashfaque, said, “It gives us immense pleasure to equip today’s change-makers with the tools needed to redefine healthcare inclusion on a nation-wide scale. With the possibility and adoption of accessing healthcare on your smartphone using the direct carrier billing API, Sehat Kahani is truly revolutionising e-healthcare in Pakistan. We believe digitalising solutions is the only way forward, and Digital Pakistan is closer to becoming a reality than ever before.” 

Dr Sara Saeed Khurram, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Sehat Kahani, commenting on the occasion, said, “Thanks to Telenor Pakistan’s efforts in supporting the startup ecosystem, Sehat Kahani is on its way to becoming a household name in mobile healthcare. We are extremely pleased to have the resources to take care of millions of more Pakistanis through online solutions.”

The Telenor Velocity programme offers startups equity-free support for four months. This includes access to a 49 million customer base, coaching from domain experts, data analytics and product development support, access to our global partner and mentor network and unprecedented scaling opportunities on Telenor Pakistan and Telenor Bank’s digital assets. This year, besides exclusive access to Telenor Pakistan and Telenor Bank’s digital assets, the Easypaisa API, Sehat Kahani is eligible to apply for credits and technical help from the Amazon Web Services’ Activate Program, too.

For more details, please visit https://telenorvelocity.com.pk.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP) has launched a free-of-cost online training course to upskill medical professionals across Pakistan regarding infection prevention & control (IPC) protocols. The course launching ceremony was held on August 26, 2021 at Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Center (IHITC) Islamabad, an institution which is rapidly evolving into a hub of teaching, training and telementoring activities in Pakistan. MMIDSP is the IPC training body for the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), and to develop the course it has joined hands with Foundation for Youth Employment Pakistan licensee of Generation: You Employed (GYE), a leading global non-profit in the training & employment space that has launched similar programs to benefit over 260,000 healthcare professionals. The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) is also a key partner of this project, providing online hosting facilities and CME course accreditation. The course is designed to be completed in just under 4 hours, including 5 Modules with video demonstrations, reading materials, and assessments. Upon completion of the final assessment, all participants are eligible to claim CME credit as the course has been accredited by DUHS. Professor Bushra Jamil, President, MMIDSP and one of the pioneering forces in infection control in Pakistan commented, “Initiatives such as this IPC course can go a long way in combating infections through the understanding of safety protocols for health professionals by the way of engaging content and involvement from leading experts.”

The Chief Guest on the occasion, Dr Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, reiterated government’s resolve to improve quality of healthcare in Pakistan and through focus on IPC, making all healthcare facilities safe for both patients and healthcare professionals. The course is available online and is free to register for all participants on the DUHS website.  

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Hameed Latif Hospital, a leading healthcare provider, inaugurates a new Medical Centre to facilitate growing patient base. Hameed Latif Hospital’s new Medical Centre in Lahore D.H.A. Phase 5 provides a wide array of services. Patients can visit to receive primary health care services such as yearly physicals, medical evaluation, diagnostic services, urgent care and specialty clinics.

“We are excited to serve the medical needs of residents in D.H.A. and surroundings.” said the Managing Director, Dr. Haroon Latif. “We not only see the modern-day new medical technology but we also witness the most magnificent flow of love around this name (Hameed Latif). We firmly believe that this Medical Centre will serve the communities to the best.” He added. Address: CCA 20 (Opposite Penta Square) Phase V, D.H.A., Lahore. Timings: 9:00am to 10:00pm – Everyday.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Leading private medical institution South City Hospital welcomes onboard international Spine Specialist, Dr. Younus Hanif Lodhi, as its Consultant of Spine & Trauma and Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr. Lodhi will be introducing spine-related services as a subspeciality in the hospital for the first time. With a primary focus on spinal conditions, the international doctor is said to treat patients with conditions in the spine that start from the base of the skull to the tailbone including deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis or any other spine-related pathology. South City Hospital has continued to successfully combat covid-19 while also providing quality medical care for other illnesses.

Dr. Younus Lodhi recently returned to Pakistan from the UK with the aim of developing the Spine as a subspecialty for the first time in the country. Although the Spine still currently functions under the umbrella of trauma and orthopedics, Dr. Lodhi intends to further develop and focus specifically on conditions of the spine, starting with back pain, radicular pain as well as any other pathology related to the spine. As South City Hospital’s Orthopaedic Surgeon, the Spine Specialist will be starting a new program that screens children of school-going age for early detection of spine conditions such as scoliosis to prevent further complications in the future.

Dr. Younus Lodhi received his education primarily from the UK where his qualifications included MBBS(DUH), FRCS(Ed), FRCS(Orth), and an MCh(Liverpool). The Orthopedic Surgeon received his Spine Fellowship in Paediatrics, Trauma, Tumour, and Deformity as well as a Fellowship in Knee from the UK. Dr. Lodhi also has an AO Fellowship in Trauma from Austria as well as an EFORT Travelling Fellowship Orthopedic from Germany.

South City Hospital is currently working with multiple divisions and continues to put its best efforts into providing quality services to patients with their plethora of treatment options. SCH’s geographically demarcated and fully equipped COVID-19 unit is managed by a consortium of Karachi’s best healthcare workers. Following strict SOPs, regularly testing of all personnel and a 100% vaccinated staff have helped in ensuring that the hospital remains a Safe Zone for all those visiting. Intending to create the highest quality service for all, South City Hospital is also currently working on developing other programs for the benefit of its patients. More on that will be disclosed at a later date.

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Covid-19 has further claimed 95 more lives on Tuesday’s 24-hour period in Pakistan taking the death toll from the global pandemic to 24,573.

The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has tweeted the daily figures citing 48,181 COVID tests conducted in the same period that resulted in 3,221 fresh infection cases.

The cases today mark 6.68 per cent positivity ratio in the country that is about the same as yesterday, according to the NCOC figures.

Key to note that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan said just yeterday that the Covid-19 situation has improved in Karachi as the number of daily coronavirus cases continued to decline in the provincial capital of Sindh.

The spread of the coronavirus Delta variant reached alarming levels in Karachi, as public and some private sector hospitals ran out of space which had forced the provincial government to impose partial lockdown in the port city on Aug 9.

He said that a surge in coronavirus cases was witnessed in some districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province and federal capital.

“Islamabad has witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases in past few days,” said Faisal and urged people to follow SOPs and get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19.

SAPM Faisal further said that the upcoming two weeks are very important in the country’s battle against the novel coronavirus amid the fourth and deadly Covid wave