ON June 15, 1976, the media brought to light a serious issue: a large number of patients admitted to private hospitals in Karachi for surgical treatment were facing difficulties because of the non-availability of pethidine injections. The problem was attributed by the doctors to the government’s restriction on its sale because the injections (sedative in nature) were being misused by drug addicts. The restriction had minimised its misuse but was causing problems to the patients who badly needed the pain relieving drug during post-operative conditions, and while treating painful ailments such as cardiac pain, kidney pain and conditions of internal haemorrhages.
Health became the focus of attention on June 16 as well when the United States gave a Rs45m grant to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). The US Ambassador in Pakistan, Henry A Byroade, presented the grant to Begum Nusrat Bhutto, chairperson of the institute’s board of trustees, at a ceremony held at the NICVD. Speaking on the occasion, Federal Health Minister Taj Mohammad Jamali said the setting up of the institute was a fine example of humanitarian services. The idea for the facility was initiated by a group of philanthropists, which was later assisted by the government of Pakistan and other friendly countries, he added.
Help and assistance sometimes don’t work. On June 20, five persons, including three children, were buried alive while digging soil under a hillock at Isa Nagri. They were among the seven persons who were involved in digging to raise mud walls for their houses when the hillock caved in. The sound of the collapse attracted the neighbours’ attention, who were able to pull out two women in a state of unconsciousness. The dead bodies of the other five were recovered after nearly an hour-long struggle. Eyewitnesses told this newspaper that four women along with children were busy digging near a milk plant during which the sad incident occurred. The Chief Minister of Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, expressed deep sorrow at the Isa Nagri tragedy.
On June 17, residents of Memon Cooperative Housing Society also grabbed the headlines when they approached the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) to take immediate action to cover an open storm water drain being used for the disposal of sewage on Lal Chaudhry Road. They pointed out that the drain had not been cleaned for a long time, which had made the water stagnant, serving as the breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Things weren’t encouraging even in the education sector. The city’s premier educational institute the University of Karachi (KU), too, had its share of problems. On June 18, its Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ehsan Rashid urged old students of the university to play their role in overcoming the financial difficulties faced by the institution and provide moral support to its current crop of students. Speaking at a reception held in his honour by the Old Boys Association of the Karachi University at the Arts Council, he asked the alumni to assemble on campus at least once a year to provide an opportunity to the younger generation to learn from them.
Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026