Sindh schools establishment funds

Rs5bn endowment fund to be established for 3,000 schools
Karachi, Dec 04: A Rs5 billion endowment fund would be established for more than 3,000 schools in Sindh, said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday during a briefing about the performance of Sindh Education Foundation (SEF).

SEF Managing Director Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali and Programmes Director Aziz Kabani informed the participants of the meeting that SEF was establishing around 250 new schools in the province. The total estimated cost of these projects was Rs160.711 million, and the projects would be undertaken with the financial assistance of the provincial government.

Ali said that these schools would be constructed within the next four years, and are likely to benefit around 15,000 pupils. She said that around 500 students had been imparted training in collaboration with non-governmental organisation so as to ensure that the 14,000 pupils who were either out of school or had been expelled could be enrolled in schools again.

The meeting was informed that government schools in five districts are being improved under training programmes for children. Around 300 female teachers would be given jobs under this plan, while professional and academic capacity of 300 teachers would be enhanced with the provision of better facilities inside these schools.

Shah expressed his "satisfaction" over the performance of the foundation, said a CM house spokesperson, adding that the chief minister sought suggestions for establishing the central office of SEF.

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KU added B.Ed Evening Programme
Karachi: Director of evening programme University of Karachi has announced the inclusion of the B.Ed course in the Evening Programme. The course is being introduced for the first time.

Prof. Dr M Abuzar Wajidi said that the new course might prove to be a special attraction for those who intend to make their career in the field of education and enhance their academic levels. "It is high time to produce quality teachers that would be able to dispense quality education", Dr Wajidi remarked. The news

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KIHD awarded the status teaching institute
Karachi: The Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD) has been awarded the status of a teaching institute.

A College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan team, after reviewing the pros and cons of the KIHD, permitted the institute to initiate a four-year postgraduate diploma course in specialised cardiac medicine and surgery.

On the occasion, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said the KIHD was the second institute after National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) to be affiliated with the CPSP and it would open new avenues in the field of research and treatment of patients with heart diseases.

Kamal said the CDGK spent more than Rs 400 million to upgrade, modernise and extend the KIHD, and the institute was equipped with modern machineries worth Rs 100 million. The KIHD pioneered the use of high-tech equipments such as '256-Slice Multi-slice CT Angiography' in Asia as only the John Hopkins University of the United States was using it.

Kamal said the KIHD was the second largest hospital in public sector with all departments and facilities under one roof and a vision to provide access to modern diagnostic and treatment facilities to the citizens at cheap rates.

Kamal added that despite a tremendous financial deficit, the CDGK ensured provision of dedicated medical services to ailing citizens at highly subsidized rates like angiography for Rs 3,500, angioplasty with stents for Rs 35,000 and cardiac bypass surgery for Rs 50,000. While other heart institutes in the city were charging Rs 30,000, Rs 250,000 and Rs 300,000 for the same procedures, respectively.

Kamal further said the Sindh Medical Technology Faculty has also recognised the KIHD for Cardiac Medical Technology Training and the KIHD Teaching Institute would start a three-year diploma course to train cardiac medical technologists. He added that the KIHD would also establish a nursing teaching institute at the same venue.

KIHD deputy executive director Dr Siraj said the CPSP visited the KIHD on Oct 19 for inspection and issued a letter of approval on Dec 2 to approve the KIHD's affiliation from Oct 19. The KIHD Academic Council has started preparations to invite students who have completed their first year to enrol at the KIHD for diplomas.

Replying to a question, Dr Siraj said it was the city nazim's special efforts that enabled the KIHD to keep offering heavy subsidies to patients amid a crucial financial deficit. He added that the KIHD had performed 1,000 angioplasty procedures, 10,000 angiographies and 100 heart bypass surgeries since Dec 2008. He further said the salaries of the teaching personnel would become a tedious job, however, the KIHD was already prepared and the new expenses would be met by curtailing other non-development expenses until allocations were made in the forthcoming annual budget. Daily times

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International speech competition
Karachi: Shaheera Abdul Jalil Albasit, a student of St Joseph Girls College, Karachi, has secured the 'First Honourable Mention' award in a speech competition in India.

'The Quanta-2009 15th International Competition for Science, Mathematics, Electronics and Computer Science' was held in Lucknow, Utter Pardesh, India from Nov 14 to 17. The participants contested all segments of the competition as teams of two. The event attracted participants from 40 countries.

Shaheera's original options for speech were, "Science can cot progress with the constraints of morality" and she had chosen Albert Einstein's popular quote, "Gravitational attraction is not responsible for people falling in love.

" However, looking at the other participants she modified the contents and spoke extempore on differences between science and morality, that mesmerised the audience making them cheer for Pakistan, particularly the Nepalese, Malaysian and Singaporean participants who chanted 'Hey Pakistan' slogans.

Shaheera said that her classmate had learned about the Quanta competition online, and they decided to file a nomination that got them accepted as the sole participants from Pakistan. On getting approval, the five girls approached their schoolteacher for further preparations.

Talking about the biggest hurdle that was a lack of necessary funds, Shaheera said she contacted Sindh Minister for Youth Affairs, Faisal Sabzwari who referred them to the City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal for help.

The city nazim asked Karachi District Coordination Officer Muhammad Hanif Khan to make the necessary financial arrangements, who issued a cheque of Rs 206,400.

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DUHS marked disabled persons day
Karachi: The Dow University of Health Sciences on Thursday organised a one-day seminar on the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons.

Director Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Dr Nabeela Soomro said that in physical medicine and rehabilitation, diagnosis and treatment of people with different types of disabilities, ranging from sports injuries, low back pain to serious neurological injuries such as spinal cord injury stroke and brain injury were carried out.

She said that the institute offered multidisciplinary rehabilitation management with physical modalities, prosthesis, orthosis, and manual therapies, therapeutic exercise to improve lost function.

Assistant Prof Dr Imran Ahmed while said that the institute has been serving for the last two years and in a short span of time artificial physical organs had been graft to 1,245 people out of whom 988 were treated free of cost. He said that those who could not afford the cost of artificial limbs were being provided the facility without any charges.

Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer Nighat Tahir said that graduate and post graduate education was provided in the institution in the field of physiotherapy and occupational therapy respectively. The news

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Indus Valley School alumni flaunt their work
Karachi: The cool breeze drifting from the seaside lost its impact as it entered the premises of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, where the alumni were paying tribute to their alma-matter on Thursday night.

The students were so busy enjoying the alumni show under the open skies that none of them cared about the "disease laden breeze" that carried fever, flu and throat problems in its wake.

The opening of the 2nd Alumni show was marked by a tabla performance by Leena Ahmed, who took the audience back to the eras of 50s and 60s when classical music was ruling the rostrum. Every pinch of her fingers tips and palm on the vibrant surface of the 'tabla' forced the audience to flock around the stage and listen attentively.

Leena graduated from the architecture department of the Indus Valley School back in 2000. However, her love for music took her to India where she learned how to play the tabla from Ustad Fayyaz Khan. Her performance was followed by a concert of Sparkle motion, a musical group formed by a former student of the school Rakhshanda Khan.

The IVS Alumni Association is showing works of 50 graduates from all the departments at the IVS Gallery. This year marks the second presentation of the alumni show. A variety of artistic work including paintings, photographs had been put on display under one single roof.

The paintings and photographs were developed using different techniques, exhibiting a delightful array and blend of ideas that an art lover would love to have a look at. Some of the different mediums were oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas and so on.

For Shabana, who graduated from the school in 2004, the attraction was not only the work but also the gathering. "It is nice to see old friends and rivals here tonight," Shabana said, who herself is now associated with the fashion design industry.

"The aim of the show, in addition to presenting the talent that the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture creates, is to bring the alumni members together, forming a network that functions to support the cultivated talent and mastered skills," said Muhammad Imran Khan, president of the IVS Alumni Association.

He says by creating a platform to display alumni work, the members are not only able to showcase their progress in real lives but also to exhibit the talent created by the Indus Valley School to the general public. Daily times

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