Of the 45.99b in current expenditures, Rs42.34b has been earmarked for general hospital services, Rs561.58m for special hospital services, Rs88.64 million for chemical examiner and labs, Rs1.38b for administration and Rs1.62b for professional technical universities and colleges. Rs4b has been earmarked for the health insurance cards special initiative in four districts as a pilot project. The largest chunk of allocation reserved in the development budget for health in the Punjab for financial year 2013-14 is in the head of block allocation which means that nobody, but the chief minister, can decide how and where to spend it. Rs5.27 billion has been reserved as block allocation. Rs8.69 billion has been reserved for ongoing schemes and Rs8.30 billion for new schemes.

Several smaller new schemes have been mentioned. These include preventive and primary health care (Rs2.05b), accelerated program for health care (Rs142m), tertiary care hospitals (Rs641m), medical education (Rs18.429m), research and development (Rs30m), devolved projects, population welfare (Rs150m) and block allocations (Rs5.27b).

Among on-going projects, Rs790m has been allocated for preventive and primary health, Rs1.63b for accelerated programme for health care, Rs4.53b for tertiary care hospitals, Rs1.40b for medical education, Rs280.6m for research and development, and Rs38.82m for devolved projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.

Sialkot, a city famous for producing millions of footballs each year, will likely supply the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The ILO Country Director Francesco d’Ovidio believes that there will be no misery or exploitation of children in Sialkot to mar the joy of sport. Talking to The Express Tribune on Wednesday – The World Day Against Child Labour – d’Ovidio explained that combating child labour is possible with ongoing effort. “The ILO has been working in Sialkot with several companies and factories that previously employed children. We created awareness among them and today, no factories in Sialkot employ children.”

D’Ovidio explained that while economic hardships still afflict Sialkot factories, the fact that child labour has been so dramatically reduced there is worth noting. “We have chosen Sialkot to celebrate,” he said.

He also announced the release of the ILO’s first global report on domestic child labour on Wednesday. The report finds that approximately 15 million children are employed as domestic labourers around the world and 10 million of them are girls. “Most of them don’t have the right to education or have any free time to play. We are aiming to end this,” d’Ovidio explained.

In Pakistan, d’Ovidio said, it was up to the authorities to decide whether domestic child labour should be on the list of hazardous occupations for children, but the ILO appreciates debate on the subject. He said that the ILO will continue to provide opportunities for children at vocational institutes, but added that the organisation hopes to step back in the future and have Pakistan take the lead on such efforts.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2013.

Society for the Protection of Child Rights got an FIR registered. However, there has been no progress on the case so far. It is rumoured that the employers and the girl’s parents have agreed on ‘compensation’.

Since January, nine cases have been reported of severe torture on children employed as domestic workers. Five of them have died. According to SPARC, at least 40 cases of torture on children working as domestic workers have been reported in the province since 2010. A policy has yet to be framed to address the issue.

In a letter to the Chief Minister’s office, the Labour and Human Resource Department expressed helplessness in this regard. The letter, titled Deaths of Children Working as Domestic Servants, pointed out that the labour laws did not cover domestic workers. The letter stated that the Punjab Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2013 prohibited the employment of children and adolescents in hazardous occupations. Domestic work, the letter pointed out, was not defined as a hazardous occupation. Therefore, new legislation was required to deal with the issue. “Would it not undermine a household’s sanctity [privacy] if it was subjected to inspection by law enforcing machinery?” the letter questioned.

SPARC suggested that a notification could be issued to include the employment of children in households as a hazardous occupation.“Since 2011, as many as 13 children have died from violence inflicted on them by their employers. In 2006, India banned child domestic labour by placing it on the list of banned occupations provided in the Prohibition of Child Labour Act,” wrote Rashid Aziz, National Manager Child Labour Programme. “No one should be allowed to take away the life of a child because he/she is a domestic servant, simply on the pretext of upholding the sanctity of a household,” he wrote. The letter was written on May 9 and has not been replied, Aziz said.

“The International Day against Child Labour will be observed on Wednesday. The theme for this year is No to Child Labour in Domestic Labour. Now is the time to act,” said Sajjad Cheema, regional head of SPARC, “Unfortunately, Pakistan is the only country in the world where the ratio of domestic child labour is increasing.”

The Child Rights Movement, a coalition of 22 NGOs working for children’s rights, demanded that the employment of children in households be banned. At a press conference in connection with the International Day Against Child Labour on Tuesday, CRM focal person Syed Miqdad Naqvi said the excuses given to justify child labour, such as poverty, unemployment, war on terror, floods, etc are lame. “The real causes are lack of will, commitment and sincerity… to protect children from exploitation,” he said.

Iftikhar Mubarik said the CRM feared that hundreds of children were being tortured, by their employers, but very few cases were being reported.

CRM member Rashad Aziz urged the government to ban child work under 16 years of age and domestic labour below 18 years of age. He said people above 18 years of age who are employed as domestic help should be respected, cared and protected through a formal agreement with their employers. Besides increasing the minimum wage to Rs20,000, the CRM also demanded the ratification of the ILO’s Convention 189 on domestic workers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.

LAHORE: Six National College of Arts (NCA) teachers who say they have been fired illegally by the college’s administration decided on Sunday to move court after no reply was forthcoming from the principal’s office to their complaints.

The teachers, Hafsa Imtiaz, an assistant professor at Department of Architecture, Tauseef Zainul Abideen, an assistant professor at Department of Film and Television, Shahzad Manzur, an assistant professor at Department of Product Design, Abid Ahsan, a lecturer at Department of Film and Television, Zafar Iqbal, a lecturer at Department of Musicology and Muhammad Navid, a lecturer at Department of Ceramics Design, were stopped by administration from teaching classes following an office order stating that their contracts had expired.

The faculty, however, said the principal could not stop them from teaching as their cases for regularisation were pending with the Board of Governors (BoG).

“We received the orders on May 8 and filed a joint application to the principal on May 15…We informed the principal that all the [sacked] employees had been working for five to seven years and under a Cabinet Division’s decision [barring the college from firing any person who has served for more than a year] they couldn’t be fired,” said Abid Ahsan.

“We have so far received no response to the letter…a letter written by the heads of departments seeking our reinstatement too has not been answered,” he said.

“We have decided to take our case to the Lahore High Court (LHC). A petition will be filed this week,” he added.

Zafar Iqbal said it was a conflict between two schools of thoughts at the college which had resulted “in their termination.”

“There are two groups in the college – right-leaning and left-leaning. Those fired were vocal and weren’t liked by the administration,” he said.

“We are optimistic that the court will declare the administration’s decision null and void…those fired earlier were [also] reinstated by the court,” he said.

Advocate Salman Alam Khan, the teachers’ counsel, said he would file the petition this week.

“The acting principal cannot take such a decision…under the college’s rules, the faculty members whose cases are lying with BoG for regularisation cannot be fired.”

Khan said under a Cabinet Division decision, “no employee with more than one year service can be terminated by the college.”

“We will present these points before the honorable court,” he added.

Meanwhile, NCA Acting Principal Shabnam Khan said the new government would set its own policy. It was up to the Cabinet Division to take a decision in this regard, she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.

But in 2006, the government banned Basant and also promulgated the Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance 2006. The ordinance was re-promulgated in 2007 and in 2009, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Act. The law prohibits kite flying, manufacturing, sale or offer to sell kites as well as kite string. Since then, many a petition, challenging the ban, has made its  way to the court only to be denied even though the law allows the nazim concerned to allow kite flying and sale of kites for 15 days during spring in a year.

It’s been seven years since Farooq and her family have had it hard but they have no option but to follow the ban because of fear of “police raids and going to jail”, as Farooq put it. Under the law, violators can be imprisoned up to three years, fined Rs100,000 or both.

Muhammad Akram, a resident of Kot Lakhpat and father of four, has a similar story to tell. His wife used to make kites to support their family since he could not work because of a disability. After the ban, however, they have had a difficult time trying to make ends meet.

Akram and Farooq’s households are just two of the thousands of kite-makers’ families that were affected by the Basant ban and have been chronicled in a study conducted by HomeNet, an umbrella organisation that works on the conditions of home-based workers, particularly women.

The study is based on a survey and interviews and was conducted over a period of —-

The pilot study was conducted in two districts of the Punjab: Lahore and Jhang. The aim was to examine the effect of the ban on women kite-makers. About 90 per cent of the kite-makers were women, most of whom used to earn between Rs900 and Rs1,500 per month, according to the study. “Women, comprising the bulk of the industry,” states the study, “were more vulnerable as they had even scarcer opportunities of alternative employment.”

With the ban on kite-manufacturing, most of the kite-makers lost their livelihood because they did not have any other skills, it says.

Figures about the kite-making industry 

In 2005, about 150,000 workers in Lahore were associated with the kite
manufacturing business

According to the study, after the ban more than 70 per cent of the families involved in the business had less food and had to stop sending their kids to school.

A majority of the kite-makers, 59 per cent, were between 20 and 30 years of age and 80 per cent of them were illiterate.

Around 62 per cent of kite-makers had been associated with the industry for between one and 10 years.

At least 53 per cent of the families made kites for 5 to 10 hours a day while the rest worked longer hours.

Around 67 per cent of the kite-makers still manufacture kites, but not as regularly as before. They earn between Rs500 and Rs2,000 rupees per week depending on how much work is available.

Most of the kites manufactured are sold in other provinces. However, 71 per cent of the respondents said it was difficult to gain access to new markets.

Recommendations  in the report

Kite flying should be allowed in the light of the court orders and zones can be reserved where the sport could be enjoyed without any likelihood of damage or loss of human life

Regulation regarding kite flying cord in terms of its gauge, material, must be stringent and observed with the help of the kite-flying association and kite-making industry

There should be an alternative business or employment opportunities for women involved in kite-making until the government regularizes the kite-making industry

Kite-making industry should be geared up to export kites to USA, Europe, China and Middle East and the industry may be taxed for more revenue

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.

Addressing the 47th convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSP), Sharif said that this was his first public appearance as chief minister. It showed that he was committed to health care and health education in the province, he said.

Those who could not afford to pay for it would be given free medical treatment under the health insurance scheme. “This is a very tough task but it is possible,” he said. There were many problems with the health sector, he said.

Hospitals were not audited by independent experts and sanitation in hospitals remained an issue. “The Punjab government is already the best employer for doctors. We want to further improve the doctors’ salary packages, but then the performance should match the salaries,” said Sharif.

He congratulated the physicians and surgeons who had completed their fellowships. “Our doctors have set an example in tackling dengue fever,” he said. Doctors from Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore had trained doctors here to cope with the situation but Pakistani doctors had dealt with the issue in an exemplary way, he said.

However, there were questions as to why 141 children in the province had lost their lives to measles. “We need to plug the loopholes and bridge the gaps to be able to provide the best medical facilities to the people,” he said.

Sharif said the government would support the CPSP in carrying out trainings and paying stipends to its trainees.

As many as 423 doctors were awarded FCPS and 64 MCPS diplomas at the convocation.

CPSP president Zafarullah Chaudhary said 90 per cent of the specialists in the country and all the specialists in the armed forces had been trained by CPSP. He said the government should upgrade its DHQ hospitals. He said CPSP could help in this regard. He said CPSP representatives should be made part of the advisory body in matters of health policy.

“The CPSP is among the top seven medical institutes in the world. It holds uniform structured training programmes in the country and abroad. The fellows of the college are highly paid abroad and have employment offers from many countries,” said Dr Rana Sohail, a fellow who had completed his specialisation in general surgery.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2013.

The petition had been filed by a former university employee, Munir Awan.

“He tampered with official documents…The court has asked him to stop working as a Syndicate member,” Awan said.

The petitioner said the court had also barred Shaukat from the post of Physics Department’s chairman.

“It is very unfortunate that the university has been checking the degrees of so many MPAs, MNAs while ignoring a member of its own Syndicate who had tampered documents,” he said.

Dr Ismatullah, an associate professor and a Syndicate member, told The Express Tribune that they [professors] would soon move an application asking PU administration to announce the election schedule.

“LHC has barred Dr Shaukat from acting as a Syndicate member and issued a notice to the varsity registrar,” he said.

“We will file an application demanding election on the seat…the administration should abide by the court’s orders,” he said.

He said, “It is the duty of the PU administration to inform the governor that the seat has fallen vacant.”

He said if the university administration did not act the governor or Higher Education Department could intervene.

PU Media Relations Director Isar Rana said he would speak to the vice chancellor and then respond about the university’s policy.

PU Registrar Professor Khan Ras Masood and Dr Shaukat did not answer the calls when contacted.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2013.

LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) wrote to the Health Care Commission on Saturday complaining about a lack of proper sterilisation of medical equipment in several hospitals in the city.

The letter stated that most hospitals, both public and private, do not have adequate arrangements to sterilise their equipment. This can cause many infectious diseases including hepatitis B and C among patients who visit these hospitals. Every hospital with a major surgery department should have a Central Sterilising and Services Department (CSSD). Yet not even the teaching hospitals have this department.

Recent bouts of load shedding have worsened matters. In minor operation theatres (MOTs), for dressing and stitching of minor wounds, the surgical equipment is used on several patients after simply rinsing them with plain water, the letter reads.

The use of non-sterile equipment can spread hepatitis at an alarming rate. “Sterilisation arrangements are particularly poor at the Punjab Dental Hospital and Lady Willingdon Hospital,” the letter reads.

Almost every patient at the dental hospital is examined using surgical instruments which, if not sterilised properly, could transmit diseases from one patient to the other. The letter states that the surgical equipment there is only dipped into a liquid, glutaraldehyde, to sterilise it after being used, and then reused on other patients. This practice is unsafe and sure to spread disease.

Most labour rooms in public hospitals too have no proper procedure for sterilising the equipment used there, the letter states. Rescue-1122 ambulances should be provided sterilised equipment as well, the letter suggests.

Hospitals are where patients get treatment. “Unfortunately in our case, many patients visit to get treated for one disease and go back carrying another,” the letter reads.

The YDA has requested the Health Care Commission to seek details regarding the procedure of sterilising equipment from the Health Department and hospitals. All teaching hospitals, at least, should be asked to set up CSSDs to control the spread of infectious diseases. “Otherwise, many people remain at the risk of contracting communicable diseases,” the letter says.

YDA leader Salman Kazmi, who wrote the letter, says only Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has a CSSD as yet and one was being installed at Mayo Hospital. Among private hospitals, only Ghurki Hospital had a proper CSSD. He says all private hospitals should also be directed to present details of how they sterilise their equipment.

“This is a matter of grave concern. If we had proper sterilisation systems in hospitals, we could control [the spread of] hepatitis to a great degree. There are as many as 30,000 unregistered dental surgeons in the province alone. They are contributing towards the spread of hepatitis. The authorities need to take note of this situation or we might face a very bleak situation regarding our health system in the years to come,” said Kazmi.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2013.

He was nominated on a seat reserved for minorities on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket.

Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora walked into the assembly hall wearing a traditional white shalwar kamees and an orange turban. Several parliamentarians and assembly officials shook hands with him and welcomed him. Several of his family and friends were there to support him as well.

“As the first Sikh to have taken oath as a parliamentarian in the Punjab Assembly since 1947, I am absolutely delighted to be part of this august house. The position certainly comes with a lot of responsibility. I will not only be representing my own community but all the minorities in the province,” Arora told The Express Tribune after taking the oath.

Arora hails from Narowal and has been associated with the Pakistan Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee.

“PML-N’s priorities include eliminating load shedding and reviving the economy,” he said, minorities will benefit from these.

Arora said that he would work for the rehabilitation of historical and religious sites of the Sikhs. “Sites sacred to other religions will also be restored through the Evacuee Trust Property Board,” he said.

He said work on the reformation of the Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee was already underway, adding that it would be made more effective and efficient. “I will do the best I can to serve minorities. That is my aim and my party’s policy. That is why I’m here and that is what my oath was about,” he said.

Parliamentarian drives in on a motorbike

While most parliamentarians were seen reaching the assembly chambers on expensive SUVs and luxury cars, one of them chose a different mode of transport. Maulana Ghiyasud Din, a PML-N MPA from Shakargarh, drove a motorbike, with a green number plate reading MPA, to the assembly building.

“There is need to promote simplicity in our culture. That is why I drove a motorbike to attend the first assembly session. We need to cut down on expenses and solve problems like load shedding as soon as possible,” he said.

The effort towards that end needs to start from day one, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2013.

The faculty members, administration and students have since been debating and discussing the issue on group emails, and social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter.

The NCA administration had barred six faculty members on May 8 from entering the college on the basis that their contracts had expired. They were Hafsa Imtiaz, an assistant professor at the architecture department, Tauseef Zainul Abideen, an assistant professor at the department of film and television, Shahzad Manzur, an assistant professor at the department of product design, Abid Ahsan, a lecturer at the film and television department, Zafar Iqbal, a lecturer at the department of musicology and Muhammad Navid, a lecturer at the ceramics design department.

NCA is a federal government institute with a Board of Governor (BoG) under the direct control of the prime minister. Its affairs are run and looked after by the Cabinet Division.

The affected teachers say the administration lacked authority to fire them as they were hired by the Board of Governors (BoG). They said the competent authority to decide their fate was either the prime minister or the cabinet division. Dr Zafar Iqbal, the musicology department incharge and one of the affected teachers, said he had been teaching at the college since 2005. He said his previous contracts had always been renewed.

“This is illegal…the acting principal has no authority to fire us. We were hired by the BoG’s approval and our status is very close to permanent,” he said. Iqbal said, “The principal has not only illegally fired me but has also unlawfully appointed a visiting faculty member with a graduation degree on the seat of a professor.”

Abid Ahsan, another teacher who is on the list, said, “The decision to fire us can only be taken by BoG or the cabinet division.”

“On one hand we are being considered for permanent jobs and on the other we have been unlawfully expelled by the administration,” he said.

Following a heated online debate, several department heads have jointly written to Acting Principal Shabnam Khan.

The heads of departments (HoDs), who are to be consulted in any matter regarding the academic management of the departments, were never consulted and were completely unaware of this matter…only two weeks are left in the end of the teaching period [term] and all contract teachers were given the responsibility to teach in this term,” the letter sent to the principal by the HoDs says.

“These contract employees should be reinstated immediately for the smooth running of the college as well as the smooth running of their homes,” the letter says.

NCA Principal Shabnam Khan told The Express Tribune, “I have no authority to renew contracts…this is the caretaker government and no appointment can take place,” she said.

Khan said, “Contract means contract, it has to end…the competent authority to reappoint the faculty members is the cabinet division.”

She said the allegation against her that she had appointed a visiting faculty member as a musicology professor was incorrect. She said she had only appointed a woman incharge who was already on the visiting faculty.

A film and TV student told The Express Tribune that the decision to sack the teachers had come when their term was ending. He said, “We need thesis supervisors… if the term is delayed, we are the ones who will have to waste a year,” he said.

However, Khan said the college had many faculty members and the students would not face problems in completing their theses.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2013.