Oxford University Press today in a local hotel, launched one of it’s latest publications, Choked Pipes: Reforming Pakistan’s Mixed Health System written by Dr. Sania Nishtar, a book that gives an in-depth review on Pakistan’s health system and the challenges faced in the field. The author has drawn attention on a number of structural factors  both within and outside the health care system and highlights the need to bring reforms to make this system work better.

Dr. Sania Nishtar is the founder and president of a health sector NGO (think tank), Heartfile which is the country’s  most powerful health policy voice today. She is also a member of many expert working groups and task forces of WHO (World Health Organization). She has also been an advisor to the WHO  on numerous occasions, has published over a hundred health journal articles and is the author of 4 other books. She is the recipient of many national and international awards and holds a fellowship of the royal College of Physicians of London and a Ph.D.
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So after a long hiatus where I was away from the city or generally pulling an ostrich to try to avoid the horrors of living in this city, the warrior inside me suddenly woke up today and I logged on to Metblogs to see what was going on… Surprise of surprises! I am still on the blogroll! So I think I will resume my blogging activity where I left off, in hopes that I will end up doing this city a little better by speaking about things rather then keeping to myself or hiding. So here goes…

Today’s tirade is about the Gizri flyover. This flyover has been under construction since God-knows-when…. actually since over the past two and a half years. In this meantime, CDGK started and finished about a gagillion flyovers all over the city. Whereas, the DHA and the Cantonment board… slowly and steadily… kept hammering away at their only masterpiece – the Gizri flyover.

Since it falls on my daily route, I had been wishing and hoping that it would be opened soon so it could help the bottleneck that is the Punjab-chowrangi to Altamash hospital road, and then lo and behold — it seemed like the flyover had been completed by November. However, only now did the long wait for its final opening started. Maybe the DHA was waiting for some Big Thing to come open it, however that never materialized and we kept on waiting and waiting and waiting.

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Noise, distortion, disruption and poor reception was part of the package for PTCL landline customers, and it used to be worst during the rains but all that seems an issue of the past as Pakistan Tele-Communication Limited has finally decided to relive us from all the unwanted disruptions by replacing the old rotten Distribution Point Boxes (DP) with the new and better ones across Karachi.

But this was surely out of the necessity as their new three in one telephone landline connection providing both television channels and internet broadband over the same single pair wire couldn’t possibly have worked seamlessly without better contact joints.

I hope PTCL understand the necessity and importance of quality service and continue to provide their valued customers with the service they deserve.

Google Earth Karachi had no (significant) update for a long period (3/4 years?) though CDGK had given the city a relatively different look. GOOD news is, they are now updating KARACHI and recently one can see all major updates (starting with an over-due Nursery flyover map/patch) and almost all changes in last 4 years now incorporated. Keep in mind, the visibility might be a question but GOOGLE has this layered approach when updating maps so places will get more visible and clear with time. Thank you so much Team GOOGLE (Earth).Here are some screen-shots. See if you figure out the places correctly.

[ If you mouse-over the image it will give you the answer ]

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” Above is an exclusive picture taken by a source at the entrance of Port Qasim near Karachi, showing US Hummers being transported out of the facility. According to the source, the shipment was not destined for Afghanistan. The picture was taken on Aug. 19, 2009 and being released here for the first time. “

[ credit : Paknationalists]

[ CDGK ]

Nazim Karachi Mustafa Kamal has announced establishing “Karachi Development Trust” for the development and maintenance of infrastructure in city. This he did while dressing a gathering of thousands of employees of the CDGK, subsidiaries and the town administration. He said the funds collected will be utilized by a five member board comprised of non controversial and non political personalities. He personally submitted the form to donate RS. 1000 each month in the KDT account and added that if all account holders donate only Rs.5 in this account than we could collect Rs.45million monthly. Read more . .

Since my previous post incited a lot of confusion about the location and whereabouts of the new American consulate, let me clear all doubts.

The new American consulate was an unwelcome neighbour in most locations. It was previously proposed to be constructed near the Karachi Grammar School on Boat Basin. However, its security headaches prompted local area residents to sue for having it not built in their neighbourhoods. Consequently, it is now being constructed at the junction between M. T. Khan road and the Mai Kolachee bypass. If you pass by there and see two tall construction cranes, that is the site. I am highlighting the location in the satellite image below.

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 An art exhibition of some of country’s senior most artists opened a few days back at the newly formed KSA Art gallery here in Karachi.

 

The KSA Gallery, another addition to the remarkable contributions of Rabia Zubairy in promoting art has recently opened at the Karachi School of Art with a vision to promote new immerging talent and to expose the art students to the work of senior artists of the country. The gallery is the only Art gallery situated in Gulshan -e- Iqbal a considerably convent spot for people and art enthusiasts living in areas like Nazimabad, North  Nazimabad, Buffer Zone and New Karachi F.B Area to reach for.   

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Yesterday while on a routine visit to the McDonalds for a regular family meal on Tariq Road I noticed their new teacher appreciation program “Sab Say Best Teacher Kaun” an attempt to select the best teacher by public voting from the 20th April at all McDonalds outlets, in return the kids may even win themselves a free Kiddy Meal.

Surely this is a commendable social effort, appreciating the hard working teachers. On the form provided by McDonalds the student has to write a short comment as to why the teacher should be selected and in order to complete the entry [possibly to also win the prize] they also share their personal contact information and school particulars, submitting these entries to the respective McDonalds outlets
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Looks like internet users will once again have a good time in future as news is Augere , a new wimax operator is launching soon. Initial work has been done and deployment is in progress. This is great since we had WI TRIBE also jumping into the competition and obviously the more companies competing the more to pick from. Read more

www.augere.eu