Source (brecorder) Three patients of dengue fever from Gilgit-Baltistan, have been referred to Lahore for treatment, health officials said.

“We have registered two patients and one suspect so far of dengue fever, of which, two were referred to Lahore for treatment on their own request while the tests of the suspected one are being carried out,” said Medical Superintendent of District Headquarter Hospital Dr. Wazir Muhammad.

He said that the patients did not belong to Gilgit but had come from Lahore to visit their relatives. One of them had already undergone treatment of this virus and was recovered but the problem resurfaced, he added.

He said the other patient was a personnal of Punjab Rangers who had returned after holidays but when he reached his unit the symptoms of dengue emerged. He was instantly shifted to the hospital but was later sent to Lahore for treatment.

The Medical Superintendent said he was informed that a person of Gizher district was suspected of dengue virus, however, his tests were being conducted.

Meanwhile, the Apex Court of Gilgit-Baltistan took a sou moto action and directed the senior health authorities to make appropriate measures to avoid any possible outbreak.

The district administrations of all seven districts have issued directives to spray the vulnerable points and adopt preventive measures.

Author : Rehmat Karim
From :Gilgit Baltistan
Occupation : Neurophysiologist
Email:r_karimhunzai@hotmail.com

The word epilepsy is commonly known as “ Meergi” in local languages and as well as in urdu. The brain is complex machine consists of millions of nerve cells, or neurones, and their supporting structure. Each neurone maintains itself in an electrically charged state. It receives electrical signals from other neurones, and passes them on to others. What actually happens is that a tiny quantity of a special neurotransmitter substance is released from the terminals of one neurone. This chemical excites an electrical response in the nuerone next in the chain, and so the signal moves onward.
All the functions of the brain, including feeling, seeing, thinking and moving muscles depend on electrical signals being passed from one neurone to the next, the message being modified as required. The normal brain is constantly generating electrical rhythms in an orderly way.
In epilepsy this order is disrupted by some neurone discharging signals inappropriately. There may be a kind of brief electrical “storm” arising from nuerones that are inherently unstable because of a genetic defect (as in the various types of inherited epilepsy), or from neurones made unstable by metabolic abnormalities such as low blood glucose, or alcohol. Alternatively, the abnormal discharge may come from a localised area of the brain (this is the situation in patients with epilepsy caused by head injury, or brain tumour).
Varieties of Epilepsy
There are several forms of epilepsy. Most people will have seen someone suffer a major epileptic seizure, suddenly losing consciousness, jerking the arms and legs, etc. But there are other types of epilepsy – for example, one common form of epilepsy in children merely consists of staring blankly and losing contact with the surroundings for a few seconds. Which is called absence epilepsy and this type of spells may be child experienced 10 times a day, parents, school teachers are the most important members to identify it. Such type of children mostly poor school performers with weak memory issues.
Epilepsy & our society
Lack of education and poor health structure we make epilepsy one of the complex diseases, although its complex but its treatable, there are different kind of medications and therapies but it’s very important for epileptic patient to consult with some professional practitioner.
How to react if someone has seizure
During seizures mostly patients has random body movements.
Try to keep patient safe from injuries like sharp objects from surrounding.
Loos the body cloths.
Do not put any sharp object to the mouth of patient.
Just push him to lateral (side) position.
Do not put any medication or water in the mouth of patient during seizures.
Usually patients are responding around 3 to 5 minutes but if patient did not respond and he has next attack of seizure so rush him to the nearest hospital or emergency centers.
Sometime after seizures patient experienced of vomiting, loose of stool or urine.
Unfortunately some people are still belief to treat epilepsy “ murgee” as traditional way “ Taveez, dam dua”.
Please if your some dear one has epilepsy must consult with professional practitioner.

Rehmat Karim
Neurophysiologist American center for Psychitry & Neurology
Abu Dhabi UAE
r_karimhunzai@hotmail.com

Source (Pamir Times) A trainee Nursing Assistant, who was found dead hanging from ceiling of her room at the District Headquarter Hospital, Gilgit, was being harassed by three of her male colleagues. The male colleagues used to send her profane and threatening messages on her cell phone.

These revelations were made by police investigators in Gilgit, based on the information obtained from the 22 year old Nurse’s cell phone. The cell phone record has also revealed several leads that may help resolve the mysterious case of  nurse death.

According to reports a draft (unsent) message in the cell phone of nurse was marked for her father, in which, she had also disclosed name and location of a male colleague who used to harass her and also, allegedly, tried to blackmail her. “…. if anything bad happens to me in my life, Jarrar Hussain from Amphary (name of a place in Gilgit city) will be responsible”, she had reportedly intended to tell her father. That the message was written but unsent may mean anything, including possible momentary lack of credit to the lack of courage, faced by many in a patriarchal society like that of Gilgit – Baltistan.

Police have also found profane and threatening messages in nurse cell phone from two other numbers.

Jarrar Hussain and another man have been arrested while the search is on for a third alleged accomplice.

Coordinator of Pakistan Human Rights Commission, GB, has said that the police investigation is being watched and all efforts will be made to ensure justice.

Author : Rubab Ali
From : Ghizer
Occupation : Student of MBBS
Email:
A new study reveals that children who spend too much time watching TV are at a higher risk of developing several health problems later in life.

The study conducted by the University of Sydney in Australia found that 6 to 7-year-olds who spent the most time in front of the TV had narrower arteries in the back of their eyes, which increases their chances of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes when they are older.

Dr. Bamini Gopinath, the study’s lead author, said: “Parents need to get their children up and moving and off the couch.”

The first-of-its-kind study involved 1,500 children in 34 primary schools in Sydney.

On average, children spent almost two hours a day in front of a TV or computer screen and just 36 minutes in organized physical activity.

But those with the highest level of activity – more than an hour or so – had significantly wider retinal arteries than those who spent less than 30 minutes.

The damage appears to be caused by a combination of concentrating for too long on the screen and not getting enough exercise.

“This suggests unhealthy lifestyle factors may influence microcirculation early in life and increase the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure later in life,” Gopinath added.

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Author : Shazia Yousuf

From : Karachi

Occupation : Software Engineer

It has nearly been one year since my father passed away in the emergency room of a local hospital.

He was a heart patient but he managed his health well. The night before his demise, he restless and complained of a slight pain in his chest. He felt better in the morning, but by the afternoon his condition had deteriorated. My sisters rushed him to a well known hospital in Defence Phase I, Karachi which boasts its expertise in health care, the nearest hospital at the time.

When I reached the hospital’s emergency room. There were no nurses or doctors around. There was one person wearing a tie and starched shirt strolling around, who looked like an HR manager of a multinational. Upon inquiry, he said that a doctor was on his way. My father was given an oxygen mask to ease his breathing. The hospital staff prescribed medicine which my sister rushed to get from the hospital’s pharmacy.

Meanwhile, the hospital monitor said my father’s oxygen saturation was gradually improving but he kept saying that he was unable to breathe.

As we stood around his bed, attending to him in the “emergency” room he insisted that his condition was worse than it was at home. We tried to comfort him by helping him sit up, then lie down again but his restlessness increased with the passage of time.

The well-dressed man (I still don’t know his designation) assured us that a specialist was on duty and was on his way. But we never got to see that doctor. The mystery man started inquiring about my father’s medical history. We had already handed him the file of his medical records that we had brought, and since this person was not a doctor, it was evident that he could not understand the file. Any sane medical professional in the emergency section of a hospital would have taken ECGs and performed relevant tests to evaluate a heart patient’s condition.

We could see that the medicine in the nebuliser had finished, and pointed it out to the people on duty. But it seemed that a patient lying in the emergency ward was of no importance, and his pain was no big deal. Before our eyes the oxygen saturation dropped drastically. We shouted and yelled out to the staff who realised what was happening.

We suddenly saw our father collapse.

Now, there was an increase in the staff’s activity. They rushed him to the ICU, only to inform us after a while that he had expired due to a cardiac arrest. In the short span of under 30 minutes, our father passed away and we could do nothing to save him.

But the fact is that I had felt my father’s cold hands when he was being rushed to the ICU. It was then that I realised there was no pulse and no sign of life in his eyes, and I had surrendered. I knew the staff were all lying. I was numb. I accepted this as Allah’s will. What else could I have done?

The episode still haunts me.

One question keeps bothering me: is there anything that I could have done?

Leaving my father at the mercy of the inefficient, unprofessional emergency staffers of a big, well-constructed hospital was the biggest mistake of my life. It makes me wonder if there is any organisation of qualified medical experts who regulate the functioning of hospitals. Is there anything such as a license?

I had been reluctant about sharing this tragic experience, because of the devastation I felt and because I thought it would amount to nothing.

But then I felt that I must.

I have written a letter to the hospital management but have received no response. In any case, nothing can undo our loss.

It is unfortunate that people suffer daily at the hands of mismanagement. Can we do anything about it? Probably not, I am afraid I am as helpless as I was when we arrived at the hospital.

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