The endemic influenza-A (H1N1 pdm09) circulation severely impacted Southern Punjab and adjoining areas where, according to the latest WHO’s findings almost 307 cases tested positive for the disease. Hospitals and treatment centers in Pakistan’s capital – Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi have reported rising levels of hospitalization and ICU admissions as compared to the previous season. In total, around 1,470 suspected cases of influenza-A have been reported from different parts of the country during the ongoing season.

However, despite reports of a flu epidemic sweeping the country, the Aga Khan University Laboratory reports no unusual activity in this year’s viral breakout. According to them, there hasn’t been an increase in rates of flu positivity from previous years, and that the current trends in positivity of samples indicates usual flu activity in the country.

Despite that, epidemiologists and health care professionals have called for dispensing timely and critical information to the masses especially during the Jan/Mar time period when reported cases are the highest.

According to WHO, seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It is easily transmittable and can affect people in any age group. In temperate climates seasonal epidemics are more prevalent during winters.

Some of the safety measures issued by WHO and the National Institute of Health (NIH) include basic preventive measures such as good hygiene, regular handwashing, avoiding large gatherings and covering the cough and sneeze as it  can significantly help to control the spread of disease. Patients are also advised to seek help from a practitioner if signs of the flu arise. Some experts also suggest getting flu shots for those who are at high risk of contracting the disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu shot for everyone older than 6 months of age.

Sources:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1605591/1-influenza-deaths-baffle-experts/

https://www.dawn.com/news/1383308

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/01/09/director-health-says-karachi-pollution-aggravating-h1n1/

http://www.who.int/influenza/surveillance_monitoring/updates/latest_update_GIP_surveillance/en/

Image taken from: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1604013/1-first-case-swine-flu-surfaces-lahore/

 The fossil being attributed to the extinct anthracothere family was excavated by Ghayyur Abbas, Chaudhry Abid Hussain and Mehtab Khan of the Punjab University. The foot long vestiges weighed up to 10 kilograms.

Scientists have long deliberated upon the origin of hippopotamus until recently, Fabrice Lihoreau, a palaeontologist at France’s University of Montpellier published a study revealing that hippos evolved from a group of semi-aquatic mammals with even-toed hooves called anthracotheres.

Previously fossilized remains of some of the world’s largest land dwelling mammals have been discovered in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan. For example between 2000 and 2003, in a major discovery a team of palaeontologists from University of Montpellier, France excavated the largest herbivorous land mammal in the world, later named Baluchitherium. The Baluchitherium which translates to the beast of Baluchistan weighed around 20 tons and measured up to 18 feet. It is believed to be a hornless ancestor of the present day rhinoceros.

A BBC news reported: “Baluchitherium is an extinct rhinoceros that lived during the Tertiary Period about 20 to 30 million years ago. With its long neck and legs, it was thought to feed high up in the trees. However, unlike the modern rhinoceros, the animal had no horn”. Its fossils were later preserved and put on display at the Geological Survey of Pakistan museum in Quetta.

Similarly in 2016, a group of researchers at the University of Punjab discovered 3 million years old fossilized tusks of the pre-historic elephant, near the district Jhelum in Pakistan’s Punjab province. These fossils of the Anancus – an ancestor of the elephant were eight feet long and eight inches in diameter. They were excavated from Siwalics rocks dated to be millions of years old.

Pre historic animal fossils have frequently been unearthed in various regions of Pakistan. The fossil remains of a 14 million years old Deinotherium also known as the “Terrible beast” were discovered at an excavation site near Chakwal.

Sources:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1598074/1-33-million-year-old-fossil-extinct-anthracothere-found-pakistan/

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1052079/tusks-found-near-jhelum-are-three-million-year-old-claims-professor/

https://tribune.com.pk/story/959830/archaeological-find-pre-historic-elephant-skull-discovered-near-gujrat/

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/01/24_hippos.shtml

https://tribune.com.pk/story/68677/14m-year-old-fossils-of-terrible-beast/

https://www.dawn.com/news/592377

Team members Muhammad Dawood, Ushma Farooq, Hassan Raza, Hassnain Qasim, Ayesha Khan and Babar Nawaz were awarded a Silver medal at an award ceremony that was held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

The global iGEM contest based on synthetic biology is a five-day event featuring oral presentations, poster presentations, workshops and social events.

This year’s participants were encouraged to design projects in the environmental/social context. The iGEM Peshawar team developed a “Reporter Fish” that is genetically engineered to detect mental contamination in water. The fish will change its color once it comes into contact with water contaminated with heavy metals or other pollutants – an indication that the waterbody is too polluted to support a population of fish for human consumption. The team self-engineered the genetic circuits for the said characteristic and tested its viability in bacterial cells. The project also featured a sensor system that alarms farmers through a text message upon detection of contaminated water.

Today, polluted seafood is a serious environmental issue. It contains an increasing level of contaminants that are causing serious health problems. The iGEM Peshawar students believe that this technology can be used by fish farmers to combat the problem of unhealthy fish and provide produce which is safe for human consumption.

iGEM is a global event that has been running for over a decade. It encourages students to solve some of the world’s most serious problems by building genetically engineered biological systems. The Pakistani cohort competed with over 90 teams whose projects were featured at the event – it also had over 3,000 synthetic biologists.  Speaking about the experience Omer Zeb from Swabi said: “Being the only electrical engineer in the team working with the undergrad biologists of Pakistan was a good experience.” Another member of the team, Hassan Raza, from Faisalabad said the project would help in combating a pressing environmental issue – water pollution.

‘I am super proud of the team who put in a lot of effort to win us a Silver medal this time. A lot of thanks to the Government of KP and CECOS university for the sponsorship and the all-out support throughout the competition this year, said Dr. Faisal Khan team supervisor and the director of the Institute of Integrative Biosciences at CECOS University. ‘We hope our industry will join hands with us in IGEM 2018 like all other teams here from different countries’, he added.

This is the second time a Pakistani team has participated and won in this competition. Previously, the Pakistani team was awarded a bronze medal for devising a BioSensor that recorded carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide levels being eliminated from vehicle exhausts.

Sources:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1557867/1-pakistani-team-bag-silver-medal-igem-2017/

http://iib.cecos.edu.pk/igem-peshawar-17-wins-silver/

https://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/pakistani-biology-students-bag-bronze-medal-igem-world-championship/

The idea of “Walk to Beat” walking stick initially struck Neha when she saw her grandfather suffering from Parkinson’s for nearly eight years. After witnessing the Parkinson’s freeze herself, she aimed to help patients who suffer from this disease.

Parkinson’s disease refers to a neurological disorder which particularly affects movement in the body and is more common among the elderly. It affects a person’s ability to walk, eat, write and speak. This state has come to be known as a Parkinson’s freeze – a sudden temporary episode of complete immobility. It not only limits the ability to start movement but also hampers an ongoing rhythmic activity such as walking or speaking. The brief pause in walking is very disabling as it gives the sensation of being glued to the ground. During this Parkinson’s freeze, there is a high probability that patients might injure themselves if they continue to stand for too long.

Key components of the Walk to Beat walking stick handle

By conducting research, Neha found a simple solution to remedy this particular aspect of the illness. Neha developed this idea as her final year research project during her Bachelor’s degree at the University of the West of England. She made an initial prototype of the walking stick which she incubated at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. The structure of the walking stick operates using haptic vibrations; the handle of the stick is equipped with a device that gives a vibrating pulse like sensation to the person holding the stick serving as an impulse to continue movement. The rhythmic pulse allows patients to match the pace of their movement with the beating. She also incorporated a recording sensor in the stick that will record the time and duration of the freezing episode based on their walking patterns. Neha believes this is an important modification which will help doctors and health care professionals to better understand the disease and its implications on their patients.

Neha tested the walking stick with Parkinson’s patients making changes over the course of one year based on patients’ feedback. She wanted to develop a product which was not only effective but also aesthetically pleasing to reflect the needs of the patients. This battery operated walking stick has is rechargeable and once fully charged, it operates for 5 days. Each product has a life span of five years.

Neha has received widespread positive feedback on this invention. As a result of this, she went on to found her own company “Walk to Beat” under which she began developing this product further. Neha and her team are continuously making efforts to improve this product and develop a minimum viable product by November 2017, aiming to launch the complete product by early next year. Neha is currently doing her Master’s in Marketing at the University of the West of England, polishing her skills to reach a wider market audience. Her invention has won three awards for entrepreneurship and five prizes including 100,000 pounds worth of investment to produce and develop this walking stick.

Farid Dailami, Associate Professor for Knowledge Exchange in Manufacturing at the Robotics Innovation Facility remarked: “The Walk to Beat walking stick can make a real difference to the lives of people suffering from Parkinson’s, and we are looking forward to providing further support and helping realize its potential.”

References:

http://parkinsonslife.eu/parkinsons-walking-stick-neha-chaudhry-walk-to-beat/

https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=3360

http://parkinsonslife.eu/walk-to-beat-innovative-walking-stick-parkinsons-patients-neha-shahid-chaudhry/

Researchers at the Information Technology University (ITU) in Lahore, together with a team from the University of California, have developed a prototype “Rescue Base Station” (RBS) for Pakistan – the country’s first emergency telecoms system that would work on normal cell phones.

“When the RBS is installed in a disaster-struck area, people automatically start receiving its signals on their mobile phones. They can manually choose it and then call, send messages and even browse (internet) data free of charge,” said Umar Saif, ITU vice chancellor and an adviser to the project.

The RBS is a lightweight, compact rectangular box fitted with an antenna, a signal amplifier and a battery, which can be carried easily and even dropped by helicopter in hard-to-reach disaster zones.

It has a solar panel to charge the battery, to keep it working in places without electric power.

An alternative communications system like this could help save lives when disasters strike by connecting survivors with rescue workers and government officials.

The RBS has yet to be deployed on the ground, but the ITU expects it to be used in the next six to eight months in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority and a local telecoms company.

Saif said the RBS signal can be received within a 3 km radius, and people in the area can easily register by sending their name, occupation, age and blood group to a special number.

“This helps generate an automatic database of people in distress, and eventually helps both the rescue and relief teams and the victims,” he said.

Pakistan has 116 million active cellular subscribers out of a total population of 185 million, according to official data.

Information on demand

Potential users of the RBS system can get the information they need in just a few seconds by sending a text message to specific numbers appearing on their mobile phone.

For example, if a person needs to contact a fire brigade, they text the words “occupation: firefighters” to the relevant number.

They will then receive names and contact details for local firefighters in just a few seconds and can call for help, Saif said.

Or if someone needs access to blood supplies, they send a message saying “blood group, B positive”, for instance, and receive contact information for people nearby with that blood group, so they can ask for a donation.

Saif said RBS teams on the ground plan to collect information about disaster-affected people in a database, and pass this on to rescue teams, doctors and government departments that can provide assistance.

“(They) can also send weather forecasts and disaster alerts to subscribers, and help them evacuate troubled areas,” said Ibrahim Ghaznavi, an ITU researcher and one of the RBS developers.

The RBS, which operates using open source software, offers all the features provided by regular cellphone companies, he added.

Ghaznavi said it costs around $6,000 to develop an RBS, and the Pakistan prototype has been funded by a Google Faculty Research Award.

Tech innovation

The RBS team is now working with Endaga, a US-based company that connects rural communities through small-scale independent cellular networks, and a local telecoms firm to commercialise the project, he added.

The aim of the collaboration is to help phone companies keep their communications systems functioning in a disaster until their regular networks are restored.

Pakistan is a disaster-prone country, which needs $6 billion to $14 billion to help it adapt to climate change impacts, such as unusually heavy rains, droughts and melting glaciers, through to 2050, according to a 2011 study funded by the UN climate secretariat.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies developed a customised communications system called the Trilogy Emergency Response Application (TERA) in Haiti when it was struck by a massive earthquake in 2010.

But that system could only send text messages to its subscribers on their mobile phones, unlike the RBS which allows users to call, send texts and even browse the web for free.

Cutting-edge technologies like the RBS could help save more lives by delivering timely advice to disaster-hit people, said Pervaiz Amir, country director for the Pakistan Water Partnership.

“Local researchers should be encouraged to develop innovative solutions to help people in distress,” he said.

But the RBS needs to be tested in the field under different conditions before being deployed on a wider scale in actual disaster zones, he added.

Amir said the RBS could be useful for rescue and aid activities, especially in remote rural areas of Pakistan where natural disasters regularly disrupt poor communications systems.

This article was originally published in Express Tribune. Read original article here

After the first industrial revolution on the 16th Century, the world needed a workforce to fill the assembly lines and factory floors that were coming up every day. In response to the need for this workforce, the ‘industrial’ model of school and learning was created. In the Industrial model of the school, learning was teacher-driven, curriculum was focused on creating a large number of (somewhat) equally literate pupil, and conformity rather than individuality was emphasized. This model served and fed the industrial revolution very well.

As the age of science dawned in the 18th and 19th century in Europe, the industrial model of education was found to be deeply and inherently lacking. Unravelling the mysteries of science and addressing challenges required an archetype of a learner who could passionately follow his or her instincts, was deeply curious, and did not ‘conform.’ Eversince, the world has been in search of a system of science teaching, tailored to create thinkers, inquirers, and discovers, needed to fuel the scientific revolution of the day.

There is a global interest in improving science learning and promoting inquiry based science education (IBSE). IBSE approaches focus on student inquiry as the driving force for learning. Teaching is organised around questions and problems in a highly student-centered inquiry process. In IBSE, students learn through and about scientific inquiry rather than by teachers presenting scientific content knowledge.

The evolution of an idea

The idea of inquiry based education originated in the United States in 1992, when Leon Lederman – a Nobel Laureate (1988) – launched ‘Hands on’ – a science education program in Chicago. This was picked up by the French Académie des Sciences, in 1996, and they started their program “La main à la pâte, (LAMAP),” which is currently one of the biggest IBSE programs in the world. LAMAP expanded its activities in more than 50 countries around the world. LAMAP comprises a series of modules, each dealing with a particular topic and related natural phenomena. For example, a waste module highlights the problem of waste produced by human activities and different possibilities of processing this waste. An energy module encourages students to design experiments, to highlight the different sources and forms of energy such as wind, sun, and falling objects,etc.

The Australian Academy of Sciences also runs a a very successful program for IBSE. The program is called primary connections. Primary connections links science with literacy. I had the pleasure to visit one school adopting this program last October. It is amazing to watch the second and third year primary students performing very simple and naive experiments. For example, second year students were given worms and they were observing its activity when kept in room temperature compared to those kept in a fridge. In another experiment fourth year students were observing the change in the size of a stick as the sun moved. The joy children showed when they explained to us the experiments and their results, was untold. The program increases teacher confidence and competence in linking science with literacy, increases the awareness of science and engagement with learning for all students, and it also links schools, parents, and the community. The crucial element is the availability of qualified teachers to deliver on the goals on the programmes.

Such programs enable the students to discover the beauty of science and help them discover their abilities. They also inspire and motivate those who often find science boring in the classroom to learn and know using experience rather than reading. Bruce Albert, the former Editor in Chief of Science and President of American Association of Advancement of Science once noted the irony: “the penalties for “failing” schools in my home state of California are tragically wrong: Students who struggle with reading or math, are given double periods of reading or math drill, and the very set of activities that could excite them about school, is eliminated.”

IBSE in the Islamic World

Inquiry based science education, is not very commonly used within the Muslim World, primarily because of lack of appropriately qualified teachers, but also a lack of emphasis in these societies on science, in general. There are a few examples, such as, Malaysia which currently runs the Science Education Programme (SEP) of the International Academies Panel.

Pakistan is another example of an Islamic country which started an IBSE-LAMP program . It is a cooperation between Pakistan Science

Primary grade Arab science students at work

Foundation (PSF) and the French Académie des Sciences and the French embassy in Islamabad. This program includes training of teachers of 27 schools by French experts. The trained teachers act as trainers for other Pakistani teachers in other schools and they start applying IBSE methods in their own schools.

In Malaysia, Science programs are deemed less attractive compared to other education pathways, such as the Arts. Over time, Malaysia has recognized that IBSE at primary level, is the way to increase the number of students in science pathways at secondary and tertiary levels, in order to meet the ambitious target of scientists and engineers that Malaysia has set for itself.

But still, the successful examples of IBSE in developing countries, generally, and in Islamic world, in particular, are very few and not highlighted as they should be. Dato Lee Yee Cheong, the Chair of SEP Program of the Inter Academies Panel (IAP) noted in his remarks, at the Conference of African European Mediterranean Academies for Science Education in Rome last May that, “IBSE is not doing well in developing countries, due to inability to engage the ministries of education fully in the program.”

Malaysian students indulge in IBSE

Gateway to progress

No doubt, that science is able to create a better world. To exert its role, there must be a better understanding of science in the society. It has been proven that IBSE improves science literacy of school pupils. It enables them to both question and doubt thereby teaching curiosity. IBSE instills the willingness to explore new ideas and reliance on evidence and logic.

Despite this, though, IBSE is still not well recognized in the Islamic world, may be due to reluctance to change in the society and disinclination of governments. Islamic countries should capture the opportunities and expand applying IBSE programs in its primary and secondary schools.

If we want to develop, we must change. Improving science education is the only gateway for development in the Islamic world.

Sameh Soror is associate professor at faculty of pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, the current co-chair of the global young academy and serves as a member of the global council of IAP science education program (SEP).

References:

1. http://www.globalyoungacademy.net
2. http://www.pathwayuk.org.uk/what-is-ibse.html
3. http://www.fondation-lamap.org
4. https://www.primaryconnections.org.au
5. http://www.interacademies.net/File.aspx?id=21563
6. http://www.interacademies.net/Activities/Projects/12250/18276.aspx
7. http://www.psf.gov.pk/lamap.php
8. http://www.myforesight.my/download/myforesight7.pdf

*The images are courtesy the writer

Steaming rubbish heaps, foul waterways, unexplained ailments, unexpected deaths – this is the reality of most modern developing countries. Those who can, retreat into bubbles of serenity; those who cannot, succumb to tired banality. Some strive to bring about change, to raise awareness, to encourage social and civic responsibility; others dismiss new-fangled environmental, civic and social concerns as “western luxuries”.

Pakistan is one such ‘modern’ developing country, with complicated issues popping up faster than a team of weary activists can spot them. But stories of woe and pessimism on Pakistan’s impending implosion, litter our news landscape. Sadly missing are the success stories, the breakthroughs; the developments that augur well for the country’s progress.

And there are quite a few. An extremely important one, is the increasing focus on solar energy development, both in the private and the public sector.

Crisis in the making

Pakistan receives over 320 days of extended daylight hours and high levels of average daily solar radiation energy (insolation) – 5.3kwh/m2 (1).

PV Tech: Solar radiation map

This, combined with over dependence on an expensive supply of fossil fuels – thermal power accounts for over 60% of electricity generation –makes it an ideal candidate for solar power development.

According to a World Bank report, although 68% of Pakistan’s population has access to electricity, 44% of all households are off-grid; 81% of these in rural areas (2). These tend to use(unsubsidized) kerosene as an alternative energy source – an expensive proposition given the cost of oil.

With the supply plateaued at 12000 MW and the demand skyrocketing at 19000 MW during summers, the country is experienced crippling energy shortages and power blackouts. No wonder then, that energy has therefore shot up to the top of the priority list, along with Security, according to Zubair Kazmi, Country Manager Pakistan for Canadian solar power company, SkyPower. The government of Pakistan, worried about the potential for unrest the energy crises holds, is backing a number of projects in hydro (which currently accounts for 31% of electricity generation), thermal and biogas energy, all of which are expected be online by 2015-2017.

Renewed Interest

The government has had a coherent Renewable Energy Frame working place since 1992, according to Kazmi, and a National Power Policy framework was announced in 2013 (5). However, implementation has been sporadic and small scale, with the primary bottleneck holding back investment, being the cost of debt, says Kazmi.

The nature of Pakistan’s risk profile is such, that the cost of debt needed to fund these capital-intensive projects is high and the sources of such funding – both domestic and international – are limited. Prohibitive financial costs are a major deterrent, especially to private and small-scale investment.

Under external and internal pressure, the government is offering subsidies and incentives to foreign and local investors, to attract investment in the sector and mitigate – at least to some extent – Pakistan’s destructive energy shortage.

Energy Bangla-Pakistan Parliament

Solar power projects have been launched with the support of global institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) as well as the governments of China, Saudi Arabia and Germany (6). Locally, Bank of The Punjab is at the forefront of domestic initiatives, with schemes such as BOP Solar aimed at providing funding for small solar power home kits. Various high profile public sector projects have already been implemented, such as, the installation of solar panels at Parliament House, Islamabad that will generate 1.8MW when completed. The panels are being installed at a cost of US$60m funded by the Chinese government (7).

Previous projects include a 356kW solar-powered on-grid power plant in Islamabad, funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (8).

Pakistan has a thriving IPP (Independent Power Producers) sector with just over 50% of the country’s thermal energy production of 15.5MW provided by IPP’s (9). Many industries depend on private power generators to maintain operations, as indeed do many private households. The government is hoping to encourage similar investment in solar power production. Major players in the solar power sector include Nizam Solar, Pak Solar, Dawood Lawrencepur, Solartech, and Skypower.

Japan International Cooperation Agency-Pakistan Planning Commission Islamabad

A solar park project is now being developed in the eastern province of Punjab, in conjunction with the Government of Punjab, Bank of Punjab and Chinese investment at a cost of US$5m. It is hoped, that once the infrastructure of transmission lines, water pipes, and roads is in place, private investment will pour in to build up initial capacity from 100MW to 1000MW.

Experts suggest the government can boost investment and demand, by bringing down costs for end-users: by removing various tariffs and duties charged on parts and equipment. Novel methods of financing the cost of development such as micro-financing, pay-as-you-go schemes; remittance backed funding and payroll deductions can be used, to circumvent the high cost of financing for private urban and rural households and enable take-up of solar power solutions.

Catching Up

Solar power use to address Pakistan’s energy crisis, can prove revolutionary; the lack thereof (solar or otherwise) can prove equally disastrous, as we have seen recently in countries around the world when desperate, frustrated citizens have turned to violent protest. India, says Kazmi, is at least a couple of decades ahead of Pakistan, as far as solar power investment is concerned with a grid connected solar power capacity of 2208 MW. Others, such as Saudi Arabia, are rushing to get ahead, especially those dependent on fossil fuels were demand is fast outstripping supply creating a scenario, where the country could become a net importer of oil by 2030. The government has therefore announced an atomic and renewable energy roadmap, aimed at generating at least one fifth (41GW) of its energy demand via solar power by 2032 (10). According to a report by consulting firm ClearSky Advisors, if realized, this target would place Saudi Arabia in the top 5 solar energy producers in the world (currently consisting of Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and China).

Interestingly, although Bangladesh is also considered ahead of Pakistan in solar power, comparing the two makes no sense, says Kazmi. Where 80% of Bangladesh is off-grid, demand is primarily for solar lanterns to replace kerosene lamps or for limited use, such as to power light bulbs. But policy focus is strong and resolute, putting the country on a ‘high growth trajectory’ of solar power through a number of initiatives aimed at electrifying homes; improving agricultural production; and establishing small and medium sized power plants across the country to power railway stations, government offices and factories (11).

Rooftop solar panel – Khulna, Bangladesh, 2010 (MajorityWorld/UIG/GettyImages)

Regulatory clarity could be the key

The ‘energy’ situation in Pakistan has become untenable, with residential demand accounting for half of total electricity consumption.There is, thus, fresh emphasis on the renewable energy sector driven by the realization, that with demand for electricity far outstripping supply, the current situation is also extremely dangerous. The government needs to urgently address the regulatory environment governing the solar energy sector, to stimulate demand for solar power and drive investment in the sector.

Razya Kirmani is a London-based, freelance writer and blogger interested in science, education, current affairs and developments in the Muslim world. She is an incorrigible optimist.

References

(1) Pakistan Renewable Energy Society: http://www.pres.org.pk/category/re-technologies/solar-energy/

(2, 11) Lighting Asia: Solar Off-grid Lighting, May 2012: International Finance Corporation (Online) Available from:

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/ifc+sustainability/publications/publications_report_lightingasia

(3) Alahdad, Z. Pakistan’s Energy Sector – From Crises to Crises – Breaking the Chain, 2012: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (Online) Available from:

http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/publications/Monograph/Pakistans%20Energy%20Sector%20From%20Crisis%20to%20Crisis-Breaking%20the%20Chain.pdf

(4) Pakistan Energy Yearbook, 2012: Hydrocarbon Development Institute Pakistan (Online) available from:

http://www.kpkep.com/documents/Pakistan%20Energy%20Yearbook%202012.pdf

(5)National Power Policy, 2013, Ministry of Water and Power, Gov’t of Pakistan (Online) Available from:

http://www.ppib.gov.pk/National%20Power%20Policy%202013.pdf

(6) Thomson Reuters Foundation, Pakistan turns to solar energy as power shortfall widens, 2014 (Online) http://www.trust.org/item/20140116230113-87r9a/

(7) The Guardian, Pakistan Parliament turns to Solar Power, 2014 (Online): http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/20/pakistan-parliament-turns-to-solar-power

(8) Japan International Cooperation Agency, Press Release (Online) http://www.jica.go.jp/pakistan/english/office/topics/press120529.html

(9) Associated Press of Pakistan, 22 Solar Power Projects of 772.99 under development, 2014 (Online): http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=266473&Itemid=2

(10) Ghaban, A. Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Strategy & Solar Energy Deployment Roadmap,2010, Royal Order (King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy – 2010)(Online) Available from: https://www.irena.org/DocumentDownloads/masdar/Abdulrahman%20Al%20Ghabban%20Presentation.pdf

Additional Reading

i. Triple Bottom-Line Magazine: http://www.tbl.com.pk/the-feasibility-of-renewable-energy-in-pakistan/

ii. Aftab, S. Pakistan’s Energy Crises: Causes, Consequences and Possible Remedies, 2014 (Online) Available from:   (http://www.peacebuilding.no/eng/Regions/Asia/Pakistan/Publications/Pakistan-s-energy-crisis-causes-consequences-and-possible-remedies/(language)/eng-US

iii. KACARE: http://www.kacare.gov.sa/en/

Access to healthcare, like Education, is now considered a fundamental human right. Delivery of effective health care cannot be achieved without an adequate healthcare system comprising facilities (hospitals and clinics), adequately trained manpower (doctors and nurses), and access to medical equipment. Over the centuries since the advent of the scientific revolution, medical instruments and devices have grown in degree of sophistication. Today, advanced medical devices allow doctors, to not only diagnose medical conditions accurately and quickly, but also provide invasive and non-invasive surgery.

Muslims such as Ibn-e-Sina (Avicenna), Al-Razi, and Al-Zaharwi, invented some of the earlier medical techniques and surgical instruments, that have become the basis for today’s medical practice. Ibn-e-Sina’s Cannons of Modern Medicine, was being taught for centuries across Europe. Many of the inventions of the early days – such as the ‘stitch’ – have existed till this day. However, very much like the long gone days when astrolabes and celestial spheres were being created across the Muslim World, the basic tart and science of conceiving and creating these instruments is long extinct within the Islamic World.

There is one major exception. The surgical instruments industry in the city of Sialkot in Pakistan’s Central Punjab Province, is perhaps the single most important cluster to retain and build upon the former Muslim tradition of creating medical technologies of the world. This one capability, arising from a certain type of craftsmanship, that this city has made its own, has survived for at least a couple of centuries and Pakistan today, enjoys almost complete and unmatched global dominance, in this very narrow segment of global medical devices industry.

Legend has it, that the surgical instruments industry in Sialkot came about rather accidentally during the period of the British Raj in India. Two British doctors came looking for someone capable of repairing a broken instrument and found a receptive audience among the metal artisans of this city. As they fixed these instruments, more began work began to flow in and a small cluster developed around the core capability of Sialkot.

To be fair, the surgical instruments cluster in Sialkot, in no way, embodies the kind of intellectual and technological leadership, that advanced centers of excellence of the Islamic World demonstrated in the yesteryears, but, it has – in letter if not the spirit – kept the flame alive, even though a vast majority of the ‘think’ (i.e. design and development) is done abroad (primarily in Germany) and that is also where most of the (financial) benefit accrues as well.

Nevertheless, the surgical instruments cluster in Sialkot represents a solid set of capabilities, that are akin to the pilot, from which a fire of innovation can be lit on another day. It is also the recognition of the fact, that there exists considerable talent within the Muslim World, that remains unrecognized for lack of  a conducive environment for innovation.

Physicist William Roentgen

The ‘enabling and fostering’ environment is essential for the successful creation of medical products, that can only be developed and refined by building upon existing ideas and capabilities through experimentation. Time is witness, that it is only experimentation, that has led to the birth of innovation. For example, one fine day, physicist William Roentgen was busy experimenting in his lab with electric current, without knowing what he would stumble upon, or if he would stumble upon anything at all. He shot an electric current through a special gas in a glass tube. The gas glowed. Big whoop, thought Roentgen, and covered the tube with heavy paper so he could get on with the important business of not being impressed by glowing things. The glow remained, only this time it was coming from a screen treated with heavy elements a few feet away. He decided that he would conduct further experimentation on this phenomena, as he could feel, that this could result in something significant. Hence, a little experimentation and Roentgen found out that he’d made a ray that passed through light elements, but interacted with heavy ones. What came out of this? The modern X-ray.

Experimentation, however, requires financial resources, human expertise as well as infrastructure. When there is a lack of these incentives, then cheap imitations begin to pool out of poorly resourced experiments. As a result of this, the phenomena of ‘reverse engineering’ springs forth: foreign products are dismantled, studied and replicated locally. However, this transition from the general to the specific has its benefits. It instills valuable experience and know-how into the local creators, regarding the mechanism of a certain product and likewise, the creation of it. With this, the product is able to be produced locally, which results in a lowering of the cost. Subsequently, this saves foreign exchange and enhances the capability for local production. Hence, the transition from a low tech capability to a high one, may require a lot of time and subsequent experimentation, but it does eventually benefit in the long run. The following are real personifications of scientific experiments conducted in Pakistan, that have evolved into successful products:

Ponitor: With this device, diagnosis in far flung areas is also a possibility now. Composed of a physiological monitor that collects vitals from the patient’s body via sensors, this device might likely become your next bag pack accessory, owing to its portability and affordability.

Laparoscopic Simulator

Laparoscopic simulator: Revolutionizing surgery, this device offers an in-depth perception of the area being operated upon, by translating all the movements of the surgeon, onto a screen. It enhances the accuracy of the surgery and provides visual aid for the surgeon, in order to judge his actions closely. Downside: with everything being monitored on a screen, the minutest mistake can cost a whole lot of embarrassment to the surgeon!

Prosthesis equipment: This equipment takes a value from the muscles, that command a gripper which, in turn is connected with the affected limb. The unique quality of this as compared to other similar equipment, along with its portability, is that it does not require computer interface, making it a winner.

Surgical Instruments

Surgical instruments: The next time you visit the dentist, be sure to hold one of these in your hand and examine the supreme quality that the instrument has. Being currently manufactured in Sialkot, Pakistan, these surgical instruments are exported the world over owing to their excellence. These include all sorts of surgical instruments, including dental ones as well.

Fiber optic laryngoscope: This unique device, uses an indirect method of surgery. Very contemporary, this device employs hi-end fiber optic cables, with an inbuilt light source. The best part is, that the patient does not have to be anesthetized!

Bone density material (bone substitute): Nothing short of a miracle, these bone substitutes are made from biodegradable polymer, that absorb within the bone, once inserted. Not very expensive, with the need of a second surgery being wiped out, this earns full points for its effectiveness.

Bone Substitues

Having assessed the state of medical equipment in Pakistan, policies, strategies, and action plans for health technologies, specifically for medical devices, are nevertheless, required in any national health plan. Within the context of a robust health system, they ensure access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices that prevent, diagnose, and treat disease and injury, and assist patients in their rehabilitation.