Pakistan's missionary hospitals look for donors to expand healthcare services

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Updated 15 December 2019
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Pakistan's missionary hospitals look for donors to expand healthcare services

  • 50-plus missionary hospitals across the country face financial constraints to provide quality medical care
  • The mission of these hospitals "is to give quality care at the lowest possible cost"

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's fifty-plus Christian missionary hospitals have been providing healthcare services to the underprivileged at the lowest possible cost for over a century, but they are now finding it difficult to continue their services in the face of increasing inflation and number of patients.
The Christian Hospital Taxila, known across the country for affordable treatment, is one of the missionary medical facilities that receive more than 120,000 patients annually, resulting in a burden on its limited resources.
“All Christian hospitals including this one [in Taxila], their mission is to give quality care at the lowest possible cost,” Dr. Ashchenaz Lall, director at the medical facility, told Arab News this week in an interview. “And this puts a lot of financial constraints because we earn and spend, getting no help from outside.”
Covering more than 30 acres of area, the hospital is located at the center of the city – some 35 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. It was established in 1920 with the help of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, and its Anglo-Indian style colonial building provides a brief history of the area as well. It is a general hospital but is best known for its treatment of blindness.
“We have reasonable equipment but have the desire to continue improving it because that ultimately affects patients,” said Lall who is also chairman of Christian Hospitals Association of Pakistan (CHAP) that patronizes over 50 missionary hospitals across the country.
Lall said the missionary hospitals required different diagnostic and surgical equipment to take better care of patients, but the lack of resources was hampering the desire to expand their medical facilities to cater to the maximum number of people. The missionary hospitals are located in different cities of the country, including Peshawar, Abbottabad, Chitral, Lahore, Sahiwal, Quetta, and Karachi.
“Our mission is to help the people of Pakistan irrespective of their caste, color, creed, or race,” he said while checking patients in his small cubicle.
Different departments of the hospital including eye, urology and cardiac are packed with hundreds of patients, including women and children, and the hospital staff keeps sending them to relevant doctors with a smile on their faces.
“I have been to many hospitals before, but the doctors here have treated me well,” Azhar Mahmood, a patient who came to the medical facility from Khushab district in Pakistan’s Punjab province, told Arab News.
The patients who come from remote areas are admitted to relevant wards for free and are then operated and treated.
“We get genuine medicine here… we are poor people and come here for treatment,” Zeenat Bibi, 80, who is admitted in the hospital for cataract surgery, told Arab News. “We have complete trust in the doctors here.”
To cope with the shortage of different facilities, Lall said the administration was planning to start a nursing hospital from next year to meet the shortage of health workers. “We also want to start laparoscopic surgery and need equipment for that, improve other surgical procedures, and start a medical store 24/7 for the general public,” he said.
The world faces a shortfall of 18 million health workers to accelerate universal health coverage by 2030, particularly in low and lower-middle-income countries, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization.
The hospital administration looks toward local and foreign donors to start all these and other projects. “There have been donors in the past. They have helped this hospital also in providing equipment and other things, but for a very long time, there is no donation as such,” he said.
“Probably their [donors'] policies have changed, [or] the donation has exhausted,” he said.
With the arrival of Christmas, Lall appeals the donors to provide funds to the missionary hospitals in Pakistan, so that they continue to serve humanity.
“Christmas is a time to celebrate and it’s a thanksgiving occasion also,” he said. “Our hospitals will always welcome help in different shapes, in the form of equipment, other diagnostic facilities, and if they can help us financially, hospitals will welcome it.”


Russian naval ships visit Pakistan’s Karachi port to conduct joint exercises

Updated 16 March 2025
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Russian naval ships visit Pakistan’s Karachi port to conduct joint exercises

  • Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have strengthened ties in recent years through increased cooperation in various sectors
  • The visit of the Russian flotilla marks a ‘significant milestone’ in maritime diplomacy and defense cooperation, Pakistan Navy says

KARACHI: A Russian navy flotilla has arrived in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi to conduct joint exercises with Pakistan Navy, the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy said.
Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have strengthened their relations in recent years through increased dialogue as well as trade, energy and defense cooperation.
Regular port visits and joint exercises between Pakistan Navy and Russian Navy continue to strengthen bilateral ties, deepen naval collaboration, and foster mutual trust.
Upon arrival in Karachi, the Russian warships were accorded a warm welcome by officials of the Pakistan Navy and the Russian consulate, according to the DGPR.
“During the port call, the crew of the visiting ships will engage in professional discussions with Pakistan Navy personnel,” the DGPR said in a statement.
“Russian and Pakistani naval ships will conduct joint exercises aimed at enhancing interoperability and maritime cooperation.”
The Russian flotilla comprising RFS REZKIY and RFS ALDAR TSYDENZHAPOV frigates and medium-sized sea tanker RFS PECHENGA will be in Pakistan till March 18, according to the DGPR.
“The visit of Russian Flotilla marks a significant milestone in maritime diplomacy, reinforcing security and defense cooperation between the two nations,” it said.
Pakistan Navy regularly collaborates and holds joint military exercises with allies and friendly nations to increase synergy, promote regional peace and stability and deter piracy, drug trafficking and other illicit maritime activities.


Bangladesh court upholds death sentence of 20 students in 2019 murder case

Updated 16 March 2025
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Bangladesh court upholds death sentence of 20 students in 2019 murder case

  • Abrar Fahad, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, was killed after criticizing then government of Sheikh Hasina on Facebook
  • Fahad, 21, was beaten for nearly six hours with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, all members of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League political party

DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh upheld on Sunday death sentences of 20 former university students convicted of murdering a fellow student in 2019 who had criticized the country’s former government on social media.
Abrar Fahad, 21, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was killed hours after publishing a Facebook post that criticized the then government of Sheikh Hasina for signing a water-sharing treaty with India.
Fahad was beaten for nearly six hours with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of former prime minister’s political party, the Awami League.
The student wing was accused of creating a reign of terror on university campuses before Hasina was ousted last year following a student-led uprising.
“I am satisfied. I hope the legal procedures will be completed soon, and justice will be served,” Fahad’s father, Barkat Ullah, told reporters after the verdict was announced by the court on Sunday.
“I don’t want to blame the parents who sent their sons to the top university, but they got involved in bad politics. I would urge others to stay away from harmful activities,” he added.
Fahad’s killing sparked nationwide protests, forcing Hasina to pledge the highest punishment for the perpetrators.
Due legal process will be followed to implement the verdict, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman told reporters.
“The High Court upheld the lower court verdict that handed down death sentences to 20 and life imprisonment to five,” Asaduzzaman said.
“The convicts will be allowed to appeal against the verdict and will have all the rights ensured by the court.”
Syed Mizanur Rahman, one of the group’s defense lawyers, said, “We will appeal against the verdict.”
Of the 20 sentenced to death, four are still on the run.
One of them, Muntasir Al Jamie, who was convicted in Faha’s murder, broke through the prison wall of a high security jail on August 6.
Death sentences are common in Bangladesh, with hundreds of people currently on death row.
All executions are carried out by hanging, a legacy of British colonial rule.


PCB serves legal notice to South Africa’s Corbin Bosch for ‘breaching’ Pakistan T20 league contract

Updated 16 March 2025
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PCB serves legal notice to South Africa’s Corbin Bosch for ‘breaching’ Pakistan T20 league contract

  • Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during player draft for the 10th edition of Pakistan Super League
  • The Pakistan Cricket Board says its management has outlined repercussions of Bosch’s departure from the league in the notice

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has served a legal notice to South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch for “breaching” his contract for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 tournament, the PCB said on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during player draft for the 10th edition of PSL in Lahore on Jan. 13, according to the PCB.
The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.
“The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame,” the board said.
“The PCB will not make any further comments on the matter.”
PSL, which officially began in February 2016, features city-based franchise teams and has become a major event in Pakistan’s cricket calendar, symbolizing the country’s love for the sport. The league brings together both local and international talent, and has grown substantially in value and popularity since its inception.
Pakistan will host the 10th edition of PSL from April 11, with defending champions Islamabad United taking on two times champions Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in the opening match.
The six-team tournament will see 34 matches between April 11 and May 18. Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will host 13 matches, including two eliminators and the final, according to the PCB.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches, including the first qualifier on May 13. National Bank Stadium in Karachi and Multan Cricket Stadium will host five PSL matches each.


Pakistan PM asks officials to intensify crackdown on human traffickers, smugglers

Updated 16 March 2025
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Pakistan PM asks officials to intensify crackdown on human traffickers, smugglers

  • Several Pakistanis attempt the dangerous and illegal journey via sea each year in search of greener pastures abroad
  • These journeys have claimed lives of several dozen Pakistanis in recent years, prompting action against human smugglers

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to intensify their crackdown on human traffickers and smugglers, the FIA said on Sunday.
The statement came after a meeting of senior FIA officials with the prime minister following the arrest of Usman Jajja, ringleader of a notorious gang involved in human trafficking.
Sharif said the individuals involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking not just cause a loss of precious human lives but also damage the country’s global repute.   
“The prime minister called for intensifying operations to bring those involved in human trafficking to justice,” the FIA said in a statement.
Sharif awarded a cash prize Rs1 million to each official who was part of the operation against the Jajja gang involved in the Greece boat accident, in which four Pakistanis died after a migrant boat they were on sank near the Greek island of Crete in Dec. 2024.
The boat tragedies put the spotlight on perilous journeys many migrants undertake, often driven by economic hardship as young individuals seek better financial prospects by attempting dangerous crossings to Europe.
Several Pakistanis attempt the dangerous and illegal journey each year in a bid to escape surging inflation and opt for a better life as the cash-strapped country navigates a tricky path to economic recovery from a macroeconomic crisis.
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on human smugglers after multiple boat tragedies resulted in its citizens getting killed in recent years. In 2023, an overcrowded vessel carrying over 250 Pakistanis capsized near Greece, in what was one of the deadliest migrant boat disasters in recent history.


Chinese shipyard completes second submarine for ally Pakistan

Updated 16 March 2025
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Chinese shipyard completes second submarine for ally Pakistan

  • The Hangor class is believed to be an export version of China’s 039A submarine, with a crew of 38 and equipped with anti-ship missiles
  • Pakistan contracted to buy eight of the submarines, the final four of which are to be built by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works

TAIPEI: A Chinese shipyard has completed a second submarine for the Pakistan navy, further strengthening military ties between the two countries.
The diesel-electric Hangor class craft was launched on Thursday at China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s shipworks in the central city of Wuhan on the Yangtze River, Chinese state media reported Sunday.
Pakistan contracted to buy eight of the submarines, the final four of which are to be built by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works in the Pakistani port city of the same name.
The Hangor class is believed to be an export version of China’s 039A submarine, with a crew of 38 plus eight spaces for special forces troops and equipped with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.
Pakistan has used submarines in the past to confront India as part of their land wars over disputed territory in the north. Prohibitions on dual military and civilian use of technology by European nations that make diesel submarines has left China Pakistan’s best option for modern military equipment.
According to a Swedish military think tank, China has accounted for more than 81 percent of Pakistan’s weapons imports over the past five years. Joint venture projects include the Hangor as well as the JF-17 fighter jet.
Meanwhile, China and India have agreed to work toward a solution to their long-running border dispute in the Himalayas after a military standoff that flared with a deadly clash in 2020 but dates back decades.