| November 15, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 22, 1427 |
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Twilight of tolerance
Price manipulation
Dargai devastation
Army men as VCs
PIA in the eye of the storm
A neglected healthcare system
An award for Edhi
Saddam’s trial
Excise and Tax Department
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
THIS has reference to a recent news item stating that a separate drug regulatory authority is being proposed by the government with a view to fulfilling the directions of the apex court to ensure sales of genuine medications.
I hope the new authority is different in composition from the existing drug licensing board which, in all likelihood, it shall replace .
It was a fact that the current drug licensing board had been dominated by pharmacologists, a few serving or retired government physicians and plenty of serving medical administrators.
It never reflected adequately the doctor community groups who actually do 80 per cent of legitimate drug prescribing. Such prescribing is done by medical specialists as cardiologists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, subspecialty surgeons, psychiatrists, private sector physicians, private sector general practitioners, gynaecologists and private sector pharmacists anaesthetists, geriatricians, and others.
Even the key personnel for the board administration were non-doctors.
The result was that either life-saving drugs were sometimes missing from the formulary or borderline safe substances were unnecessarily registered. For example, clear life-savers as Revatio used in primary pulmonary hypertension and blue babies and dozens of useful drugs as immunological drugs are missing from the formulary. Not all heart disease medication is registered .
Similarly, there are no regulations about medical instruments and devices and that often-banned allopathic medication is found as part of ‘hakimi’ preparations and sold openly . The famous Pakistani cricketer’s case is one such example.
To add more confusion, active pharmacological ingredients of homoeopathic or ‘hakimi’ medications are not printed on their bottles so that allopathic prescribers never knew about possible adverse drug interaction with those ‘hakimi’/homoeopathic medications taken by the same patient .
Additionally, some clear-cut allopathic medications are sold and registered as mere cosmetics, some drug solvents, vehicles, fillers, preservatives, etc., are not looked into closely for patient safety and allowed. Many drugs registered are made for companies which are financial non-entities and which do not have even resources to treat adverse effect of the recipients. The chemist shop attendants do the two-thirds of allopathic prescribing overall, mostly illegitimate. No law protects patients.
Many aspects of the proposed drug regulatory authority are either legal in nature such as patent issues or else they need public representation as price fixation, site of factories , environment. Hence a board with no judicial member or members of the Senate or the National Assembly, region wise, shall not be complete.
The balancing of scientific evidence is important in drug licensing, there has been at least one report in which the drug licensing board equated studies done on rats in importance to those done on humans and drugs, such a painkiller combination, were deregistered on flimsy grounds.
I hope the drug regulatory authority is soon constituted and does the job well. In case the drug regulatory board cannot perform or is similar in composition to the existing drug licensing board, then it only means a waste of money and should not be constituted.
Furthermore, legally clear and detailed law is needed for its constitution, like an Act of parliament.
MANSOOR ELAHI
Islamabad
THIS has reference to Mr Irfan Husain’s column ‘Twilight of tolerance’ (Nov 11). I agree with the writer that it is wrong not to recognise and learn from history; instead of ignoring it — as has been the case in Pakistan for most of its existence and a short period in India (the Mumbai example he cited). Mr Husain correctly pointed out to followers of the Sufi sect’s good deeds but ignored the ravages that Sunnis inflicted on Hindus at large and on those of other Muslim sects.
The most glaring omission that many historians and learned commentators, including Mr Husain, make is to ignore the destruction of Hindu India’s educational infrastructure by Muslim rulers of India starting with the Sultanate period (10th to 13th centuries) and concluding with the Mughal period (16th to 19th centuries). Not a single centre of education was established by Muslim rulers of India during their near millennium of presence in India.
At Aligarh Muslim University, during the British rule, the Deobandi school of Muslim thought germinated. Some of its graduates and teachers precipitated the partition of India.
A mix of Wahabi and Deobandi followers in Pakistan are responsible for perpetuating political insecurities of South Asia and unleashing terrorism on a global scale by adopting fascism with a face of Islam propagated by radical and fundamentalist clerics, power-hungry autocrats and elites obsessed with inferiority of Muslim political power.
Isn’t it a South Asian tragedy that today’s generation is paying a price for neglect of education in India (or South Asia if that’s what Muslims prefer to call the area after partition) for over a millennium, not to
mention that many scholars have made cases to demonstrate a link in the decline
of Muslim and Hindu powers
in India and their woefully inadequate scholarship in areas of math, sciences and philosophy.
Europeans are blamed by chauvinistic South Asians for colonisation after subjugating and humiliating Indians and their native rulers. But if Europeans had not mastered and exploited the power of modern scholarship starting with the renaissance period in Europe, to build a second-to-none military power in pursuit of economic growth through commerce, they too like most Muslims would have remained backwards.
KISHAN BHATIA
Texas, USA
REFERRING to a news item (Oct 31), it is revealed that the OGDC has earned Rs12.3 billion after tax profit. The company's net profit margin increased to 19 per cent, and the ABL has posted an operating profit of Rs6 billion, a growth of 59 per cent.
Mr Sultan Ahmed, in an article (May 18), stated that the State Bank governor says the banks with their assets of $60 billion made profit of $90 billion in 2005. Mr Sultan Ahmed also writes in another article (Sept 21) that too many companies are making up to 100 per cent profit per year.
Further, the multinational companies in Pakistan are known to earn over 100 per cent profit. The government too is indulging in profiteering. Take the case of prices of POL products. The petroleum prices decreased but the government is not allowing the benefits to reach the people and is earning for itself billions of rupees.
According to another report (Oct 31), the government has made more than Rs255 billion under the pretext of maintaining uniform oil prices across the country. Similarly, the government is blocking gas tariff reduction by the OGRA (Nov 2). The report states that the government is reluctant to notify the revised rates to earn a windfall gain of over Rs24 billion in the form of gas development surcharge.
A profit of 15 to 20 per cent can be considered reasonable but beyond this it would tantamount to fleecing the people. Small retailers are caught for price hike and fined/sent to jail but the big fish are left to loot and plunder. Due to misgovernance, several cartels have emerged and are fleecing the masses.
The owners of sugar mills, mostly in the corridors of power, appear to be above the government writ. They are selling sugar at their price (Rs34/kg) and at own terms/conditions.
The common man is groaning under the impact of price manipulation by the vested interests who are pushing the poor families to poverty. The government says that poverty has decreased by 10 per cent but the ground reality is that poverty is increasing.
An effective institution should be established by the government to regulate the pricing structure and monitor the profiteering.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN
Karachi
A WRONG is a wrong, howsoever one might try to justify it. Killing of 83 men was wrong and we must accept it as such. It was also wrong to take the blame for what is widely believed to be an American handiwork.
US intelligence failed them once again regarding the presence of Ayman al-Zawahiri -– Al Qaeda number two man — in the Bajaur area and consequently a seminary was hit by the deadly predator causing the carnage.
Violation of Pakistan’s airspace for yet another time by US forces would have been too embarrassing for the government who took an easy way out of it by claiming the kill itself. A repercussion of Dargai sorts was bound to come and should have been anticipated by
all, especially the armed forces, and that too located near the gateway to the Bajaur agency.
Agreed, the recruits’ training area was in the open, close to the main road and not protected by a wall, yet some effective arrangements for a controlled perimeter access could have been put in place. Allowing a free run to an alighting passenger wrapped in a chaddar hiding explosives underneath, from a road side bus stop to the middle of the thick of a company of recruits doing their normal daily training speaks volumes about the laxity of the required safety measures on the part of the higher-ups.
Ironically, those entrusted with the task of protecting the others could not protect even themselves.
Dargai devastation is a tragedy that could have been averted, albeit with a little foresight.
COL (r) RIAZ JAFRI
Rawalpindi
I AM grateful to Mr Fouz Khalid Khan (letter, Nov 8) who rightly believes that the incumbency of the NDC-graduated vice-chancellors of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab Universities is against the Islamic injunctions of justice because they are not right persons for the right job.
Mr Khan also asks a very pertinent question: “What can be expected from professional academics who bow to men who are in every respect inferiorly educated than them?”
My answer is that those academics who bow their heads to their non-academic super-iors are expected to be extremely greedy for undue promotions, syndicate membership, additional charges, membership of the lucrative committees, and other trivial benefits.
In fact, these so-called “academics and scholars” are one of the major causes of the declining standards of higher education in this country.
DR MEHTAB ALI SHAH
Jamshoro
IT appears that PIA is squarely in the eye of the storm, with three highly critical letters appearing in these columns in the last week. Dr Khalid Butt (Nov 7) has accused PIA of being a top heavy political employment agency. M. S. Sheikh (Nov 8) laments the nepotism and ‘sifarish’ culture at PIA that has led to the European Union ban on its 747s. Rashid Orakzai (Nov 9) talks of how Malaysian Airlines successfully tackled spiralling fuel costs through austerity, and accuses PIA of extravagance and all manner of other ills. He ends by putting the entire burden of blame on the present CEO, Mr Tariq Kirmani.
The fact that PIA’s operating environment is anything but normal warrants bearing in mind when analysing the disconnect. Over the last two-and-a-half decades PIA has not functioned on solely professional and commercial lines, and this has indeed compromised its effectiveness.
Mr Kirmani, the corporate top gun that he is, has not been in his seat at PIA long enough to effect the change that he would like to. Under his command PIA is shaking off the lethargy and dust accumulated during the political period, and fighting the ingrained culture of ‘sifarish’ and nepotism in order to promote merit. All of this much to the annoyance of vested interests who feel threatened, and God knows to what extent they are prepared to undermine PIA’s functioning. The mass hysteria that has become evident after PIA’s censorship by the EU is once again typical of our emotional nature and willingness to jump the gun.
The European Union is in a foul mood, with its flagship Airbus in deep trouble, and its airlines ravaged by spiralling fuel costs. The ban on PIA’s 747s can well be seen in the light of protectionism that the EU is affording its own national carriers, much like the agricultural subsidy that it and the US refuse to abolish for their farmers.
That would also explain the trans-Atlantic PIA direct flights fiasco. The US has enough problems keeping its own airlines functional, and is not about to let PIA poach market share.
Pakistan is transiting through a divisive phase in its history, and in some ways these are very unfortunate times reflected in national political discord. Teams do not function well in such disturbed macro-environments.
Whether it is cricket, or hockey, or a professional outfit like PIA, the lack of synergy in the macro-environment definitely impacts performance. Fortunately, we are under divine injunction to search for silver linings, and maintain our hope in a better future.
PIA will pull through, as indeed will Pakistan pull through, these challenging times, stacked deck notwithstanding.
ADIL AHMAD
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the report about a young woman who died from severe case of appendicitis due to a physician’s negligence (Nov 10). It is physicians like these that have caused a breakdown in the healthcare system. As the rest of the world moves forward, Pakistan falls further behind in improving its healthcare standards. Just as we think the system is about to be revived, someone comes in and debases it.
All physicians, at the time of their inauguration into the medical field, take an oath to better serve and protect their patients. Nowhere in this oath does it say that a physician can leave the patient dying on a stretcher in the hope that he/she will be alive the following day and can be operated on then.
Physicians need to realise that a patient is not just another ‘body’ that needs to be diagnosed and possibly treated. They need to treat and save as many lives as possible; they have to provide everyone with adequate healthcare, whether they have Rs15,000 or nothing at the time of treatment.
A sense of humanity is deteriorating amongst physicians. If they could acquire a tiny amount of compassion and not succumb to the avarice or power, Pakistan’s healthcare system can improve tremendously.
AMBER KALHORO
Hyderabad
IBA deserves laurels for honouring Abdul Sattar Edhi for his outstanding services to humanity in a poor country like ours (Nov 12). The institute has recognised that Mr Edhi deserves what a highly educated man cannot sometimes achieve. His helicopter fleet is in the Guinness Book of Records and he has an extensive network of ambulances, homes, ‘idaras’, hospitals, hospices, orphanages, etc. His services are from Karachi to the northern borders and he is extending his helpline for the needy, deserving and injured people in war-torn countries all over the world.
From Karachi to Quetta, from Lahore to Balakot, Edhi ambulances are the first and sometimes only ambulances to arrive; he sometimes arranges funerals himself. His wife ably assists him whenever she can. It is no mean task to solely and sincerely build an organisation like he has. I believe his name should be forwarded to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. On several occasions we have had to use his services and his compliance, efficiency and manners have been outstanding. May God give him the courage and health to do more for humanity.
S. BABAR
Karachi
THIS has reference to Dr Mahnaz Fatima’s letter ‘Saddam Hussein’s trail’ (Nov 9), in which she said justice was at least done (with Saddam).
I just want to tell her that the great American government is behind and supporting that justice process. The US government is not only against terrorists like Saddam but it is against all Muslim terrorists like the Taliban, etc.
She also said that justice must always be welcomed. I do agree with her but before saying welcome to justice, we should know who is doing justice and under what circumstances. For example, if the devil is doing justice in any case, we know it is for the wrong.
With my due respect, I would like to tell her that the man who has been given death penalty was favoured by the American government when he had invaded Iran in the 1980s and I think that in that war with Iran many innocent Muslims were killed but at that time instead of doing justice, the American government helped him by selling him weapons.
I want to know where was justice of the American government when US soldiers were killing innocent Iraqi people, who is responsible for their death and who will do justice for them?
I want to know where is justice when Israeli soldiers were killing innocent Arab Muslims of the Middle East and the same American government is supporting Israel for doing that.
I think the type of justice which was done with Saddam is done by the American government only in the circumstances in which someone is not following their instructions and this type of justice is never welcomed.
MUHAMMAD HAROON
RAUF, Faisalabad
I recently received a note from the Excise and Taxation Officer, I Division, telling me that I had made some additions to my home and it asked me to reply within three days. I sent my reply by hand courier, saying that the notice was a mistake, that I had carried out no alternations in my home and that confusion might have arisen because of construction next to my house.
However, a few days later I received another note saying I had not responded to their note and someone would visit my home to check things.
The notice was the photocopy of a pro forma which the British had most probably introduced in the early part of the 20th century. The notice gave neither the Excise and Taxation Officer's postal address nor a telephone number, much less email address, where I could give my version to the officer concerned directly.
Would the authorities do something to modernise the system?
A CITZEN
Karachi
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