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Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
New budget ignores woes of poor patients
The Sindh government has once again claimed improvements in healthcare, asserting increased health sector allocations while paradoxically achieving little in terms of improving patients' access to affordable healthcare. Sindh's public hospitals, facing increasing patient pressure, had submitted a formal written request to the Sindh government for a substantial increase in grants in the annual budget. However, the government rejected this request and instead allocated only an 8 per cent increase in grants for public hospitals. In contrast, a significant amount was allocated for NGOs working in the health sector, including public-private partnerships (PPP's) which were promised 50 per cent more funds. According to sources of the Express Tribune, for the 2025-26 budget, the Sindh government has allocated Rs326.5 billion for the healthcare sector, which is a steady rise from the previous year's budget of Rs302.2 billion. The budget for the People's Primary Healthcare Initiative has been increased from Rs12 billion to 16.5 billion, while the Gambat Institute's budget has been increased by Rs3 billion to 10 billion. In essence, instead of improving the state of government hospitals, the Sindh government has allocated a total of Rs146.9 billion for over 60 NGOs operating under public-private partnerships, an increase from Rs90 billion. Experts believe that this amount could have been used to provide health insurance to patients across Sindh, who remain deprived of adequate healthcare facilities. This is particularly imperative in a province where existing health facilities have seen no improvement in terms of bed capacity, despite annual budget increases. At the Sindh Government Children's Hospital near Nagan Chowrangi, which operates under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Sabir, the father of 8-year-old Zohaib, shared his concerns. "The hospital staff and administration act as if the facility is privately owned. They often show a lack of attention toward patients and display a disrespectful attitude towards their attendants. It is a common issue at PPP hospitals that essential medicines are frequently unavailable, and emergency services are often not provided during night hours. The attitude of doctors and staff is generally indifferent," said Sabir. Senior photographer at a daily, Jalal Qureshi, shared his recent experience of taking his granddaughter to the emergency department of NICVD's children's unit, where the guard and staff behaved extremely rudely with his son-in-law. "When I attempted to report the incident to the hospital director, I learned that the emergency department had been handed over to an NGO under the PPP model. The NGO staff gave the impression that the facility was a private hospital, with guards and staff appointed at the NGO's discretion," said Qureshi. "No new hospital has been established in Karachi in the past decade, while the bed capacity of existing hospitals has not been increased either. Even in hospitals like Civil, Jinnah, and Lyari, the number of beds remains the same as it was before. Despite the Sindh government increasing the budget for these hospitals every year, no measures have been taken to increase the number of beds. There is no accountability in this regard. Under public-private partnerships, the Sindh government has handed over buildings of public hospitals to various NGOs, which use electricity, water, and manpower free of cost. Although the Sindh government allocates significant funds to these NGOs in the annual budget, patients do not benefit from it," claimed Dr Nighat Khan, Chairperson of the Women Care Foundation. Former Caretaker Health Minister of Sindh, Dr Saad Khalid Niaz opined that the same funds could have been used to offer health insurance to the people. "Despite the Sindh government's annual claims of improving the healthcare sector, poor patients still face difficulties in accessing treatment. The number of government hospitals in the metropolitan city is insufficient for a population of over 20 million," said Dr Niaz.
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Kalat ambush
Listen to article The killing of three musicians, including two Qawwals belonging to the renowned Sabir family, in an ambush on the outskirts of Kalat is highly disgusting. If the renowned singers from Karachi were targeted deliberately as they were on their way to perform in Quetta, then it is even more condemnable and hints at the sense of otherness that is fast creeping in society. The attack has left at least 13 injured, and seems to be a follow-up of a similar bloodbath in Zhob a few days ago. The fact that National Highway arteries are not safe in the restive province of Balochistan is a grim reminder that quick-fix measures taken by the authorities after gun-runners are not up to mark, warranting something serious in the kinetic realm, including securing all the passenger buses with armed guards to ward of any eventuality. This tendency of taking passengers out of buses, profiling them and killing them is a terror tactic meant for showcasing that non-state actors can operate unchecked. This time around all the victims were from Karachi, and might mark a new angle in ethnic terrorism. As military authorities in the last few weeks have cracked down hard on Indian agents operating in disguise, the backlash is understandable. The possession of automatic weapons and the coordination that these outfits have exhibited is a source of concern, and necessitates a solution that is logical and addresses both political and security dimensions. The terror fissures are now toiling national cohesion, calling for a coordinated response. It seems the government's offer to engage with the militants on their genuine grievances is not on a proper wavelength. That means some out-of-the-box gestures are desired to ensure that the radicals, especially those who are interested in working under the ambit of law and the Constitution, are motivated with state-centric guarantees to give up terror and become part and parcel of civil society. It is a gigantic task that must be backed with prompt military manning so that security does not go up for a toss.
Rudaw Net
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sulaimani town uses cameras, fines to curb littering
Also in Kurdistan Turkish soldier death toll from methane exposure in Kurdistan Region rises to eight Five Turkish officers killed due to methane gas exposure in Kurdistan Region Why did PKK pick Sulaimani for first disarmament? Turkey extends flight ban on Sulaimani again A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Authorities in the southeastern Sulaimani town of Darbandikhan have installed surveillance cameras and introduced heavy fines in an effort to curb littering in public areas, a town official said on Monday. 'We have installed surveillance cameras in five locations in the Darbandikhan district and hung warning signs that garbage and waste should not be thrown in those places,' municipality head Zryan Sabir told Rudaw. The locations in question were previously used as dumping grounds, which Sabir condemned, saying 'the municipality has now cleaned up those areas and prohibited further waste disposal there.' Authorities have installed signs at the locations which read: 'Please do not throw dirt and waste in this place, otherwise you will face legal punishment and fines. For your information, this place is under camera surveillance.' Fines for violators range from 100,000 to 500,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $71 to $357), according to Sabir. The monitored locations include a local fruit market, an industrial area, and other public spaces. Darbandikhan is one of several towns in Sulaimani province adopting surveillance cameras as a new measure to reduce public dumping and better protect the environment. In 2019, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) environment board passed a decree mandating punishment for polluters. However, the board has repeatedly complained about its lack of enforcement powers, citing other government bodies as responsible for implementation. Meanwhile, uncollected waste in the Kurdistan Region is either dumped in landfills or burned, releasing hazardous toxins and greenhouse gases such as methane into the atmosphere.
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Undertrial's murder act of revenge; four held, six still on the run
The killing of a 24-year-old man on June 27 here was the result of a conspiracy hatched by the family members of the man he was accused of eliminating in 2017, and one of his former jailmates, police said. (For representation) Rae Bareli's Mohammad Sabir, who was facing a trial here for allegedly murdering Pappu Ghosi, was hacked to death with an axe, shovel, and hammer in a house in Khadra on the night of June 27, said police. '...Ghoshi's family had been plotting their revenge for years, and roped in Rashid, Sabir's former prison mate, promising him ₹ 4 lakh if he brought Sabir, who was working in Delhi, to Lucknow,' said DCP-Central Ashish Srivastava. The conspiracy, police said, involved Pappu's parents Munna and Shabana, sons Shadab, Sami alias Abul Fazal and Taimir, and nephew Naseem. Rashid was introduced to the family and given some money, after which he convinced Sabir to travel with him to Lucknow on June 27. 'Once in the city, he took him to Saeed Ahmed's house in Madeyganj, where an ambush was laid,' said the DCP. He added at the house, Munna, Shadab, Naseem and others assaulted and killed Sabir. Driver Anil Sonkar acted as a lookout while house owner Saeed Ahmed provided shelter and surveillance. Only Saeed was caught on the scene; others fled. Apart from Munna, police have also arrested Rashid, Shabana, and Saeed Ahmed. Munna has been presented in a court. Six others—Shadab, Naseem, Anil Sonkar, Khurshid, Sami, and Taimir—are absconding. A reward of ₹ 25,000 has been announced for each. Madeyganj SHO Rajesh Singh said an FIR under BNS sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 103(1) (murder) has been registered in the case. Rashid is named in another murder case in Rae Bareli.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: A loss to Delhi cuisine
Late author Sadia Dehlvi's drawing room in Hazrat Nizamuddin East was a gossip adda for the capital's elite. Its other draw was Sadia's homemade meals. They offered the choicest of traditional Purani Dilli cuisine, including dishes that have become extinct. Sabir used to reside in a spacious barsati atop her second-floor apartment. One evening, he was standing outside the barsati, on the roof, with his young son. (HT Photo) Sadia's comrade in the kitchen was her cook, Muhammed Sabir. A friendly gent with carefully combed hair and a confident booming voice, Sabir had been a staffer at Sadia's household for 20 years. This was a period long enough for the UP native to himself become a master of Purani Dilli cuisine. Over the years, he had picked up culinary tips, techniques and authentic recipes from his historically minded employer, who inherited her formidable cooking skills from her ancestral roots in Old Delhi's Phatak Habash Khan neighbourhood. On Sunday, Sabir died, aged 47. The cause was heart attack. He is survived by his wife, Shaheen, and children Farida, Sahil, Irshad, Sirtaj and Farina. His remains were escorted to his village Fatte Purwa in janpad Bahraich. The ambulance drove over the same highways and country roads on which Sabir would travel during the 12-hour long bus ride to home for holidays. He was buried beside the graves of his elders. 'Sabir is my boss,' Sadia would say half-jokingly. 'He decides the menu every day.' On certain evenings, however, one of her moody drawing room guests might abruptly declare a desire for some fancy Dilli dish. No problem! Cheery Sabir seemed to be made for these emergencies. In no time, he would appear with his popular aloo gosht—the meaty flavour of the gosht so thoroughly seeped into the whole chunks of aloo that these humble potatoes would be more flavoursome than the gosht. Or perhaps it would be his equally popular safed daal—garnished with sliced ginger, bhuna pyaz and chopped pudina leaves. All along, Sabir's nonchalant demeanour would suggest supreme effortlessness on his part. As if this talented chef had a secret djinn producing tasty feasts from nothing. Being the sole cook for a society hostess who loved inviting people to her table must have been a trying job, but Sabir made it look easy. After Sadia's death in 2020, Sabir worked through a series of home kitchens. Having been for so long with a caring employer (whom he called 'apa,' sister), he struggled to find that same sort of comfort zone. At the moment of his passing, he was working in a 'kothi' in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park. When he was working in Sadia Dehlvi's kitchen, Sabir used to reside in a spacious barsati atop her second-floor apartment. One evening, he was standing outside the barsati, on the roof, with his young son. The sky was soaked orange with sunset hues. See photo.
