the ink pill

I F M S A - P A K I S T A N

T H E I N K P I L L

IFMSA-PAKISTANIFMSA-Pakistan was established in 2001 as Pakistan chapter of IFMSA(nternational Federation of Medical Students’ Associations). It has its representation in 40+ medical institutes of Pakistan with 8000+ members. IF-MSA-Pakistan is Pakistan’s leading Medical Students’ Association. Contact Information:Email Address: [email protected] Page: http://www.facebook.com/ifmsapakTwitter: @ifmsapakInstagram: ifmsapak


T H E I N K P I L L

Career Guidance Seminar ....................................................................................................No Tobacco Day Walk ..........................................................................................................Basic Life Support Workshop ...............................................................................................Undergraduate Open Day ....................................................................................................

L C - A I M CBasic Life Support Workshop ...............................................................................................Blood Donation Campaign ....................................................................................................Career Guidance Seminar ....................................................................................................USMLE Guidance Seminar ..................................................................................................Youth Leadership Seminar ...................................................................................................

L C - K M CUsmle And Electives Guidance Seminar ..............................................................................Enlightening The Dark Side ..................................................................................................Tb Awareness Workshop ......................................................................................................Oral Hygeine Workshop ........................................................................................................World Kidney Day .................................................................................................................

L C - A M CLets Talk. Period. ..................................................................................................................World Oral Health Day – Spreading Healthy Smiles ............................................................Volunteer Program For Children Suff ering From Cancer ......................................................Poster Competition ...............................................................................................................Flood Relief Camps ..............................................................................................................Events Timeline ....................................................................................................................

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C O N T E N T SEditor’s Message ..................................................................................................................President’s Message ...........................................................................................................

A R T I C L E SAwareness Ribbons .............................................................................................................. Healthcare in Pakistan - Our Past, Present and Future .......................................................Who will empower her ? .......................................................................................................Nebulizing Awareness ..........................................................................................................Out in the Field .....................................................................................................................A Crippling Situation .............................................................................................................Me, Myself and Ifmsa ...........................................................................................................eHealth: The Future of Health? ............................................................................................All Technology And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy ............................................................The Blood-Thirsty Vector ......................................................................................................Open Access ........................................................................................................................Opening Up To Special Children ...........................................................................................Actions Speak Louder Than Words ......................................................................................Know Thyself ........................................................................................................................The Great Depression ..........................................................................................................

E V E N T R E P O R T SL C - K E M U

MCHCP .................................................................................................................................

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Dear readers,I couldn’t be happier writing an editorial for any magazine than I

am today writing for The Ink Pill, the fi rst annual national magazine of IFMSA-Pakistan. When I became the Director of this Division, it was an amalgam of my passion for IFMSA and my love for publications come togtether, so understandably, I saw a path of rainbows and unicorns in front of me and the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow turned out to be The Ink Pill. However, this pot of gold is fi lled to the brim with hard work, talent and dedication of all my team members at National Publications Support Division. In addition to thanking my team, I would like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Ahmed Jawad Mufti, our NMO President, Arslan In-ayat, and, of course, my parents for their relentless support throughout.

From agreeing on a theme almost a year ago to proofreading and re-proofreading the very last of the articles, the journey of creating this magazine has been beautifully memorable with my publications family that expanses four Local Councils of IFMSA-Pakistan. We have tried to put together a comprehensive compilation of the recent events or-ganized by IFMSA-Pakistan along with some very moving articles by talented young writers from all over the country on the theme of “Aware-ness”. We, the publications team, are happy with the fi nal product, and we hope that after going through this magazine, you will be too. *Fin-gers and toes crossed.*Looking forward to your feedback. Best Regards,Haleema Munir

E D I T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

EDITORIALHaleema MunirPublication’s Support Diviion DirectorChief EditorAllama Iqbal Medical [email protected]

Ahmad Jawad MuftiFounderKhyber Medical College

Unsa AtharCo-EditorKing Edward Medical College

Quratul - Ain - ZamirCo-EditorArmy Medical College

Rabeea AmanProof-readerArmy Medical College

Xafar KhanText-EditorKhyber Medical College

P U B L I C A T I O N ’ S T E A M

Manaqibb Zain Ali KhanLayout DesignerKing Edward Medical College

Hassan SaeedLayout DesignerKing Edward Medical College

Mazhar IsmaelPhotography EditorArmy Medical College

Dear IFMSA-ians!Two words: Welcome, and congratulations! A very warm welcome to the beloved

IFMSA-Pakistan family to their fi rst viewing of the offi cial national publication of IFM-SA-Pakistan, The Ink Pill. This is defi nitely a dream come true and hence, congratu-lations are in order for the entire National Publications Support Division for pulling off this colossal task and coming up with our fi rst annual magazine from the scratch. This division has made me proud, and a standing ovation is in order. I see a very bright future in IFMSA for all the members of this talented team, because hard work and talent never goes to waste anywhere, least of all in IFMSA.

If I had to choose and be thankful for only one thing in my life, it would be IFM-SA. For the past six years, my life has revolved around IFMSA at various local, na-tional and international levels; and I have enjoyed every single moment of it. While I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my predecessors in IFMSA and IF-MSA-Pakistan for their relentless support and pearls of wisdom, I would also like to encourage my colleagues and juniors in IFMSA-Pakistan to dive into this vast ocean of opportunities that IFMSA off ers for medical students all over the world and play their role in local, national and global health policies and reforms. IFMSA is the plat-form via which our voices and opinions as medical students can be heard. IFMSA is the way to make a diff erence. IFMSA is the way to think globally, and act locally.Best Regards,Arslan Inayat.

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

Arslan InayatPresident IFMSA-PakistanKhyber Medical [email protected]

Quratul - Ain - ZamirVice President Internal Aff airs

Army Medical CollegeSyed Jawad Hussain

Vice President External Aff airsKhyber Medical College

Manaqibb Zain Ali KhanSecretary General

King Edward Medical CollegeHaleema Munir

TreasurerAllama Iqbal Medical College

E X E C U T I V E B O A R D


T H E I N K P I L L

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AWARENESSRIBBONS

“A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given

power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the

world.” –V for Vendetta.The above mentioned quote, my dear

readers, is from a movie I love. The words signify the use of actions to symbolize specifi c causes. The use of symbols by people can bring gradual but eff ective changes on a large scale; the human history has proved this over and over again.

Let me tell you something about the history of awareness ribbons. The fi rst ever ribbon to be used was yellow in colour. This ribbon was mentioned in a marching song, to honour the men of USA military who fought for their country, away from their loved ones. In the year 1917 George A. Norton copyrighted the song for the fi rst time. The title of the song was “Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon”. In the early 1970s, another song was released titled as “tie a yellow ribbon ‘round the ole oak trea’ Inspired by this song, Penelope Laingen, wife of the U.S. Chargé d’Aff aires in Tehran, Bruce Laingen, launched her own American tradition that encouraged the use of literal and metaphorical yellow awareness ribbons tied around oak trees or any kind of tree. On a CBS broadcast, in

an interview outside her home in Bethesda, Maryland, she said, “It just came to me, to give people something to do, rather than throw dog food at Iranians. I said, ‘Why don’t they tie a yellow ribbon around an old oak tree.’ That’s how it started.”

This evolved to include more elegant interpretations of the ritual and has even become a subtle yet powerful testimony, worn and shared by way of the sophisticated ribbon pins that double as fashion statements.

Back in times, the ribbons were associated with soldiers only as indicated by Napoleon Bonaparte’s statement: “A soldier will fi ght long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.” But when the world had to suff er from AIDS in epidemic form, the think tanks had to come up with an idea to create awareness among masses about AIDS. Rainbow, and later red, ribbons were used to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS. Famous fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi once stated and I quote “I love the red ribbon. It ruins whatever you’re wearing, it does not work compositionally, it’s the wrong colour, it throws your hair off , and who cares, because you have human feelings and you are showing them.”

Not long after the AIDS awareness ribbons caught on, silk ribbons and

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Unsa AtharKing Edward Medical

College, Lahore

decorative ribbon pins were introduced in an eff ort to build awareness and support of the breast cancer cause. Pink ribbons fl ooded the market and continue to do so today, all thanks to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The idea for these pink ribbons came from the story of a 68-year-old woman, Charlotte Haley, who produced handmade ribbons in her home. Haley had a number of people in her immediate family who had battled breast cancer and her handmade “peach” ribbons intended to raise awareness about the limited government funds being used for breast cancer research. The colour pink was later used because Pink is a colour that is uniquely feminine, and it also represents a person full of health and vibrancy.

The year 1992 was declared “The Year of the Ribbon” by the New York Times because the ribbons usage as a symbol for awareness spread like fi re in the forest in this year. This rise in the popularity of ribbons led to the advent of ribbon-related merchandise, such as key chains, lapel pins, bracelets, necklaces, bumper stickers, T-shirts, tattoos and other accents and accessories. Year 2001 brought forth the use of blue, white and red ribbons as a part of the protest against various actions of terrorism. And with this the world saw the adoption of a new colour for every new cause.

Today, we see the protestors and fi ghters of a cause sharing the same coloured ribbons as a symbol of unity and their loyalty to their cause. Let it be political workers or young doctors, every man dedicated to a particular cause uses a coloured ribbon and the action of one man adopted by another man sets a tradition which may serve as a milestone in the success of the cause.

I personally think that awareness

ribbons are admirable, for they provide us with a peaceful yet eff ective way to express our opinions and ideas, without causing any physical or intellectual harm to anyone. And that is what today’s much cried for “freedom of speech” is about. References:1. Allan D. Awareness Ribbons - How It All Started [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://webclipart.about.com/od/specialtyclipart/ss/Awareness-Ribbons-How-It-All-Started.htm2. Pinmart.com. The Modern History of Awareness Ribbons [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.pinmart.com/history-awareness-ribbons.aspx3. Iraqnow.blogspot.com. COUNTERCOLUMN: All Your Bias Are Belong to Us [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.iraqnow.blogspot.com/2004_09_01_archive.html4. Metrolyrics.com. Mitch Miller - She Wore A Yellow Ribbon Lyrics | MetroLyrics [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.metrolyrics.com/she-wore-a-yellow-ribbon-lyrics-mitch-miller.html5. IMDb. V for Vendetta (2005) [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/quotes6. Lapelpinsuperstore.com. Ribbon lapel pins used for awareness as a visual means of support [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.lapelpinsuperstore.com/articles/ribbonlapelpins.htm7. SweetsLyrics.com. Frontliner : “Symbols” Lyrics [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.sweetslyrics.com/1005294.Frontliner%20-%20Symbols.htm8. Hill A. Design Context: The Red Ribbon [Internet]. A-hill1215-dc.blogspot.com. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://a-hill1215-dc.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-red-ribbon.html9. Military-quotes.com. YELLOW RIBBON [Internet]. 2014 [cited 16 August 2014]. Available from: http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/yellow-ribbon-t2434.html

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HEALTH CARE IN PAKISTAN OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Fifteen years into the twenty-fi rst century, and with a rapidly expanding population with meagre resources, we need to change our goals. We need to change our strategies and infrastructure, because sixty six years have gone by and health services are still out of reach of a common man. Something somewhere is not right. Defi nitely, not right!

We have some of the best doctors in the world, scores of state-of-the-art hospitals, specialists, trainers and many of the sharpest minds of the world. We are the proud nation of the fi fth largest armed forces and the youngest Microsoft certifi ed professional. Our country is hailed as the fourth highest cotton producing country; our students grab maximum A’s in A-levels. We’re the only Muslim nuclear power on the planet. But still we have to put up with a maternal mortality of 260/100,000, infant mortality of 60/1000 live births, and life expectancy of 65 years! Something is not right! And that is our direction.

We are a developing nation. But that is not an excuse for not being able to provide basic health facilities to the people, to the common man. We need to streamline the things, set our priorities.

One of the major challenges that doctors are going to face beyond 2015 is the rapidly spreading resistance to

antibiotics. Although there is an overall decline in the infectious diseases, it is still a major burden on the doctors, as well as on the budget allocated for health care. To tackle this problem, measures need to be taken. Antibiotics should not available so easily like any other over-the-counter product. Easy accessibility has led to self-medication by the people. Also laziness and slacking on the part of doctors has led to this magnanimous problem. Not knowing enough pharmacology, not knowing enough bacteriology and pathogenesis of disease, not taking the detailed history and not due paying attention to examination and investigations. All this leads to prescription of wide-spectrum antibiotics, which treat the condition for the time-being but will result in a havoc which we shall not be able to deal with if we don’t stop this practice right away. Another aspect of antibiotic resistance is the lack of “patient education” by the doctors. The patients should be clearly informed about the need for completion of the antibiotic course even when the symptoms disappear.

Since we are developing and trying to become a developed nation, the problems of the developed world are coming here as well. Yes, there has been a rapid rise in the non-communicable diseases like ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, obesity,

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Afeen Arshad Army Medical

College, Rawalpindi

hyperlipidemias, diabetes mellitus and the list goes on. Prevention is always better than cure, and that is the best solution to all these problems: •Educating the masses as much as we can. •Reinforcing the message again and again through doctors, media, and patients suff ering from these diseases. • Inculcating healthy habits among the children and youth will raise a healthy nation.

A great way of educating and raising awareness among the common people could be by making it compulsory for medical students to give talks about common health issues to small groups of people.

On the other hand, to tackle the deaths from the inevitable diseases, we need to encourage people to donate their organs. We have the facilities available for kidney, heart, liver and corneal transplantation, but we face a severe shortage of donors. Transplantation is an established medical procedure to save lives. Not many people in our country know about it, hence awareness should be created about it.

Another major complication is the inability to eradicate polio from the country. Although the number of reported cases has dropped from 25,000 in 1994 to 194 in 2011, this is still not enough. A few years back, we were close to eradicating this bug from our country, but certain political and religious myths became a big hurdle in the door to door vaccination that was being carried out for so many years and was proving to be eff ective as well. In this regard, we, the doctors, need the politicians and infl uential religious scholars to intervene.

Another measure that can be of great signifi cance can be the inculcation of performing research among the medical

students and new doctors. Researches of our own demographic area will lead to a better knowledge and understanding of our core health issues. Only after the issues have been identifi ed can their solutions be sought.

Beyond 2015, we should target to nip the evil in the bud. We should reach the common Pakistani, and inform and educate him. Convincing them, persuading them and making them feel certain that minor changes in the day to day life can save them from major health issues later can actually bring down the prevalence and incidence of various diseases, and hence, save the government a lot of health budget which can then be used for treating unavoidable conditions, leading to greater success as a nation.

In a country where famine and obesity are rampant simultaneously, we can unarguably assume that there is no dearth of resources, but a great defi ciency of the right administration and the right set of priorities. We don’t lack doctors, but we lack a good network in which they could work to bring health and well-being to each and every citizen of this country. If we can do great in all other fi elds of life, we can undoubtedly and positively do substantially well in the health department as well.

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WHO WILL EMPOWER HER?A lady with a lamp I see

Pass through the glimmering gloom,And fl it from room to room

A Lady with a Lamp shall standIn the great history of the land,

A noble type of goodHeroic womanhood.

There will be no name more fi tting than Florence Nightingale’s if we are to talk about women empowerment especially in the department of health care. That was a time when affl uent English women were respectable only as long as they remained confi ned in their homes. In the respectable social circles of the English Elite, there was no concept of women tending to the wounds, either physical or psychological of their male counterparts. Yet a burst of lightening was born from a single ember of fl ame. Indeed, it was the steadfast courage of a woman which took the world by surprise. Was it the magic in her hands, or her unyielding belief in her that made the death rates around her drop? The health care and sanitary conditions of the hospitals post-Crimean war were revolutionized and even today her name is taken with great respect. She might not be here with us in body, but a little bit of her was immortalized as she struggled selfl essly for prevalence of true humanity.

But why focus on a single woman? There are names, countless names

of remarkable women who proved their mettle in diff erent fi elds and in doing so, challenged the patriarchal framework of the societies they were born in. It won’t be like to focus on one woman after another because although it will make for an impressive article, it will be cherry-picking. It will be an act of picking some ‘exceptionally great women’ from the folds of time. Which may enable us to reach the conclusion that yes, some women can be great if they are ready to face challenges. But in the back of our minds, would we be able to think or believe that all women have the inherent potential to be there?

Therefore, I intend not to focus on ‘some gems’ from the box of pebbles. I believe every woman is as capable as Florence Nightingale, given she has that mental strength to overcome the barriers in her way.

Because, let’s face it, we know woman to be kind. The whole nature of a woman is crafted along the pattern of caring. She is the one who ‘tends’, who ‘nurses’ when she successfully goes through the task of ‘creation’, with signifi cant contribution from the man, of course. Furthermore, there is no scientifi c ground to the myth that women have lesser IQ. In fact, the contrary is found

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Hira KhanAllama Iqbal Medical

College, Lahore

to be true in many cases. There is one drawback of lesser power and strength, but while man’s body is more suited to lift and sustain weight, a woman’s body is far more fl exible and agile if she puts it to use that way. Then where is she lacking? Why woman of today lags behind man in most fi elds? And why do we need to protest against discrimination? Why do we have to raise voice for the rights of women even today? Why is this topic not obsolete already?

Are these real, palpable, physical barriers that women from developing nations have to face, even today when we have a black president in USA? We have singled racism as the most abominable form of behavior from a person. Diff erent groups in the world are shifting comfortably in their assigned roles in the global village that this world has become, why is there hue and cry over roles of women in a great part of the world? Who is going to decide that ‘role’ except the woman herself?

You can have all the bounties and talent in the world but if you don’t do the right thing, you don’t make a diff erence. In this context, I do hold the women responsible for their lack of progress to a great extent. This stance may be analyzed cruelly and disagreement may have strong foundations rooted in other factors, but I have an argument to make in my defense. In the medical schools of Pakistan there is an obvious majority of women over men, there is no policy of fi xed seats for them (something which is repeatedly suggested but rejected as it strongly looks like a ploy to give women the status of a minority which might be realistic, not ideal). So what happens now when women are given fair chances to pursue the noble profession of medicine with their choice? A vast majority of them simply leaves the profession right

after graduation. Rest, resume their career and face the social pressure of marriage to a heartbreaking degree. This is not an easy choice to make and yes, this might be where you can blame the society for being too rigid in its view of ‘normal’. It would be hard for a foreigner to understand the plight of a 25-year-old working woman in Pakistan who happens to be a bachelor. The implications of such a choice would be beyond the scope of this article but in a nutshell, hardly any women here would be able to make an independent choice in this regard. In a country like ours, a choice to pursue greater dreams for a woman is still an act of rebellion. And not everyone is Florence Nightingale! Most of us are weak and seek approval from family and society and this is our fuel, our motivation.

The choices that women have are not so attractive. She can choose to empower herself and lead a life of her choices, bear the consequences of it with a square chest and smile up to the challenges she faces or she can adopt a route that is far more feasible, and which entitles her immediately to a respectable status of a married woman and these paths usually do not cross.

Although, the crossing point of this would be the place where true empowerment of women really begins. I wish the woman of today would not be judged for her choices, whatever they are, and a sacrifi ce of her dreams would not be a compromise asked of her every step on the way.

But more than that, I wish woman of today would empower herself if no one else can do it for her. For the process of Justice is slow when it is hoped for, and faster if the victim stands ground, rises to the challenges she faces, and has faith in herself greater than the circumstances like Florence Nightingale.

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Hira MunirBinish MeharHira MurtazaAnum Iftikhar

(Foundation University & Medical College)

Asthma is a common chronic disease with underlying infl ammation of the airway. Its prevalence is more common in developed countries, but increasing in the developing countries. Control of disease depends upon the steps taken for prevention. A signifi cant exposure to data can spread correct information. And so, we set out to assess the awareness of prevention of asthma among general public, medical students & patients in Rawalpindi.

A cross-sectional study at Foundation University & Medical College from January 2013 to March 2013 was carried out encompassing 500 participants, aged 18 to 60 years, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The attitude and awareness of prevention of asthma were determined by individual counselling, classroom instructions and using a self-administered questionnaire. Questions were ranked according to importance and awarded 5, 2 and 1 points for correct and 0 for incorrect answers. If their total score was above the pre-set score, the participant was considered cognizant.

Out of 500 participants, 202 (40.4%) were males and 298 (60.6%) females. Among these, 200 were general public, 200 patients and 100 medical students. The number of participants with adequate knowledge of asthma, prevention,

causative agents and cure, respectively by the general public were 100(20%), 50(10%),23(4%),27(5%); medical students,50(10%), 25(5%), 24(4%) and 1(0.2%) ; patients, 150(30%),20(4%), 20(4%),10(2%). Television and newspapers were identifi ed by 120 (24%) and 100 (20%) of the participants as their source of information.

Among the three groups, general public was less aware of the preventive measures for asthma. Educating the masses is recommended through awareness programs and inclusive community asthma education so that they become au fait with it, to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity and to enhance the quality of life for those with asthma.

We presented the paper, “A multi-component intervention to raise asthma and allergy awareness” at the 20th Annual Meeting of Medical Research Society of Pakistan held at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Lahore, Pakistan- May 25th, 2013. It may not seem much, but research is essential to increase awareness about any condition and we like to think that we may have contributed, however insignifi cantly, to increasing awareness about one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of the young worldwide.

NEBULIZINGAWARENESS

OUTIN THE FIELD

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Iqra Latif Allama Iqbal Medical

College, Lahore

Things are simple but people, including myself, make them complex; mostly because they are fascinated by complexity. Considering the public zealotry of taking all issues as complex, impossible and out of reach; we decided to spread the simplicity, simplicity about a prevailing medical issue, with a thought that we cannot deal with all the complexities in society, but we can start with one. And so, we came up with the “Allama Iqbal Medical College Thalassemia Society” raising slogans like “FIGHT FOR LIFE, FIGHT AGAINST THALASSEMIA”. But, why Thalassemia? Why not cancer or any other chronic ailment? The answer in my opinion is simple: Thalessemia is highly preventable with simple measures.

I volunteered myself for this noble cause and the fi rst task given to me was general public awareness. It was a good challenge for a girl like me, having no experience of such public interactions. We decided to reach young learners of our hometown’s educational institutions considering them the best target to convey our message.

Within a week, I found myself stepping into a classroom of a girls’ institute. Seeing the lively young innocent faces busy in gossips and chit chat, I dreaded my fears turning into reality. Mustering up all the courage I had, I started with a friendly introduction. This startup made me feel

absolutely confi dent. All my nervousness vanished with that friendly introductory smile I passed, which gained the trust of my eager audience and made me feel that they are more than ready to listen to me. I thanked Allah Almighty for that moment of grace and started pouring out all that I had prepared for this session on awareness about prevention of Thalassemia. I had hardly prepared only a couple of notes anticipating that I won’t be able to speak more than 8- 10 minutes, but when I saw the time again, I realized that I had been addressing my audience for the past half an hour! And their eyes were demanding for more of it. It seemed like they were not ready for it to end so soon. This all was absolutely contrary to what I had in my mind before addressing to this session.

The session ended with a note of thanks from both sides and I stepped out of that room with a feeling of satisfaction in my heart that none of these students are unaware of the cause no. I was glad that at least these families have been saved from Thalassemia. The thrill and delight I got was beyond words. I was rewarded with eternal peace that fi lled my heart with serenity, which was my ultimate earning. This was my fi rst public interaction and it gave me one important piece of my life as a doctor; and I am on the way to collect more pieces.

“FIGHT FOR LIFE, FIGHT AGAINST THALASSEMIA”

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Polio-Being born and bred in Pakistan, I have been regularly hearing this word since I was very little. I may not have been truly aware of the disease and its implications then, but it is a fact that ‘Polio Drops’ is a remembered part of my childhood. Why, then, is Pakistan still one of the only three endemic states to be harboring this deadly virus?

Poliomyelitis (Polio) is a potentially fatal, infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours! There is no cure for it, but there are safe and eff ective vaccines. The strategy is to prevent infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world becomes polio free.

“Pakistan only 9 polio cases short of a disgraceful century”: a thought provoking headline in a local newspaper. 91 cases of polio have been reported so far in 2014 and the year hasn’t even ended yet! In May, 2014 WHO declared a Polio Emergency. Many measures are being taken, such as the one requiring residents and visitors from polio-aff ected countries to vaccinate before international travel. Despite the collective eff orts of the countries to eradicate polio from the planet, we still have been unable to achieve our goal.

The idea here is not to make us fearful, but rather to instill awareness about this issue. Even the incidence of one polio case in any part of the world is a cause for

international concern. It threatens the very integrity of the Polio-Free Campaign since a single case very easily takes root and multiplies into several hundreds of other new cases. While it is a truly commendable eff ort that the number of polio cases worldwide has decreased by more than 99% since 1988, it is also very alarming that tackling the last 1% of the cases is proving to be very diffi cult.

Pakistan is still reporting the incidence of polio each year and this should be a cause for national concern for all of us. The Government and policy makers have their own share of blame, but so do we. Whatever the reasons, we as the ‘educated’ class should also feel somewhat responsible for this sad state of aff airs. Think about the cute little toddler never being able to take her fi rst step, the teenager unable to kick a football again, the pretty girl confi ned to a wheelchair for the rest of her life and the young, aspiring boy on crutches unable to join the Air Force. It is our duty to gather knowledge, educate people and bring awareness amongst the public about this paralyzing disease. We should become a part of this worldwide campaign because until polio is completely eradicated, it poses a serious risk to people all across the globe. We have to be united in helping others. It is time to act human.

“Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves.” ― Horace Mann

A CRIPPLING SITUATION

Asma Ahmed Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore

ME, MYSELF AND IFMSA

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Hira MunirFoundation

University Medical College, Islamabad

I never had this penchant for the fi eld of medicine in my school days but gradually, I just fell in love with it! (Kudos to Grey’s Anatomy and House). How a doctor can get attached with the feelings of a patient, feeling what they feel, and the empathy! That’s where I felt connected and in that one moment I realized this is the thing for me.

I’m now in my fourth year of medical school and the experience is just over-whelming. And I know that this is just the beginning and there’s a whole lot to come. Besides medicine, I have this knack for words! I have kept this diary for 8 years now in which I jot down all the new words that I come across while reading. That diary is one of my greatest possessions. I’m a Grammar Nazi. To the core. To a point where it irritates people and I get death-stares from my circle of friends for that. But honestly, deep down, I love it.

Coming towards IFMSA, I came to know about IFMSA via social media. I gathered more information about it and immediately applied for the post of a coordinator. Because, “what I saw was this ocean of opportunities lying in front of me and I realized that many people knew about it yet a huge number remains uninformed of its existence.” I believed that I can be a link in forming a chain to reach out to those people who still are missing out on this huge opportunity. Like a lighthouse guiding

the ships home. That’s why the students at my college need IFMSA, in order to gain the clinical wisdom and apply it on a local level, and to represent themselves and their country on international grounds so that they can become good future medical practitioners in this global era which greatly depends on new researches and works in the medical fi eld. If we do not take part in researches and mainstream medical issues then we will remain handcuff ed in the old era and would just have to rely on the outdated data, putting the lives of millions at stake!

I believe that my college has been given a huge opportunity, to show what we’re capable of. Medical conferences and seminars are held on a regular basis and amalgamating them with the idea of IFMSA and more research and exchange opportunities, to be able to discuss what’s happening locally, nationally and internationally, can contribute in shaping a better and brighter future for each and every one of us!

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If I ask you to imagine the future of health, what would you think of? Would you think of medical robots automatically gathering information from patients and doing simple tasks like taking vitals and administering drugs? Would you see all hospitals of the world connected with one another to share information for the best treatments of their patients? Would you picture people consulting doctors on their laptops rather than in clinics? Perhaps all this (and maybe

a lot more) is possible, thanks to the new, emerging fi eld of health called “eHealth”.Today, communication technologies, such as the internet, have turned our vast, boundless planet into a tiny, global village. eHealth is simply the use of these technologies in health. It is defi ned as the health services and information, delivered and enhanced through the internet and related technologies [1]. It isn’t a single system or technology, but an amalgam of many technologies, all with the common purpose of enhancing the quality of health provision.One of these technologies is the electronic health record (EHR). It is a computerized version of the patient’s information which can be shared among medical personnel, even if they are continents apart. Have you ever wanted to skip a visit to your doctor

vast online health knowledge resources, such as Medscape and MDLinx, which provide valuable and authentic information to both physicians and patients. Finally, health information systems (HIS) facilitate gathering and aggregating information from various sources to report on the health situation throughout the country. All this information can then be used by governments while forming their national health policies.So, does this introduction of technology into health actually provide any benefi ts over traditional health models? The answer is: yes, it does. Its most obvious benefi t is increased access to healthcare [2]. Telemedicine shatters the limits of geographical boundaries, enabling a person sitting at his home in a rural area of some

just because you were too busy? Telehealth promises to save a lot of your time by giving you remote access to famous doctors with a few clicks on your computer. Another eHealth technology is termed mobile health (mHealth) and includes all the services provided through mobile phones such as mobile applications to monitor patients’ health status and provide them valuable updates and information regarding their treatment. Also included in eHealth are the

eHealth: The Future of Health?

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third-world country to consult specialists from the world’s leading hospitals for his ailment. Moreover, there are far less chances of errors in EHR than in traditional record keeping. Through eHealth, the quality of health provision is also enhanced since the medical team is connected (through mHealth) at all times with their patients, reminding them continuously of the precautions they need to take and being available throughout the day for their questions. The academic impact of eHealth is also tremendous.Gunther Eysenbach, the editor-in-chief of JMIR (Journal of Medical Internet Research), aptly summarizes the benefi ts of eHealth by writing that the ‘e’ in eHealth implies a number of e’s which together constitute what eHealth is all about: Effi ciency, enhancing quality of care, evidence-based interventions, empowerment of patients, encouragement, education of physicians, enabling communication, ethics and equity [3].Despite all these benefi ts and despite the fact that the concept has been around since 1999 [4], practically, eHealth is still in its infancy. Developed countries have only recently adopted electronic health record as the standard means of storing and sharing patient information [5]. Several factors have contributed to limited use of eHealth till now. The fi rst is that of patient privacy and confi dentiality [6]. It has to be ensured that there are no data thefts or security breaches. Also, many people have limited access to or knowledge about computers. So, paradoxically, the people who’re most likely to benefi t from eHealth (those living in rural or third-world areas) may practically derive the least benefi t from it simply because of their limited technological knowledge or access. Thus, eff orts must be made to impart technical

knowledge of eHealth to everyone in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Lastly, there are several legal issues to deal with [7]. Various laws such as the self-referral and anti-kickback laws in the US, create a climate of uncertainty for the hospitals willing to implement eHealth systems. Various eff orts are being made to overcome these challenges and it is only a matter of time that eHealth transforms healthcare completely.Now, imagine a scenario: Mr. John, an elderly man living in a rural area, is diagnosed of severe hypertension. The nearest hospital is at the walk of two hours, making it diffi cult for him to go for his routine checkups. However, with eHealth, all his problems are solved. He consults his doctor every day by video chat, gets his blood pressure checked throughout the day and sent to hospital through a mobile device and also receives regular messages on his mobile phone reminding him of his medicines and precautions. His treatment becomes a part of his daily routine and he continues to live a healthy life.Perhaps the above scenario isn’t possible in today’s world but once eHealth becomes common, every Mr. John of this world will be able to lead a healthy and productive life. Fusion of health with technology will give us a future that may be quite diff erent from what we expect but it will defi nitely be a very healthy one. Wouldn’t you agree?References:1. Pagliari C, Sloan D, Gregor P, Sullivan F, Detmer D, Kahan JP, Oortwijn W, MacGillivray S. What is eHealth (4): A scoping exercise to map the fi eld. J Med Internet Res 2005 Mar 31;7(1):e9. 2. International Telecommunication Union. eHealth Benefi ts. National eHealth strategy toolkit 2012. 3. Eyesenbach G. What is e-health? J Med Internet Res 2001; 3(2):e20. 4. Della Mea V. What is e-Health (2): the death of telemedicine? J Med Internet Res. 2001 Jun 22;3(2):e22. 5. Pearce C, Bainbridge M. A personally controlled electronic health record for Australia. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2014 Mar 20. doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2013-002068. 6. Spriggs M, Arnold MV, Pearce CM, Fry C. Ethical questions must be considered for electronic health records. J Med Ethics 2012 Sep;38(9):535-9. 7. World Health Organization. Ethical and Legal Aspects of Privacy in Health Care: a literature review. Legal Frameworks for eHealth 2012.

Abdul RehmanAllama Iqbal Medical College

Lahore

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ALL TECHNOLOGY AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK

A DULL BOYTV, cell phones, internet, video games, iPads, iPods, playstation and antisocial behavior ,alienation from parents, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders ,obesity, aggression, attention defi cit are they actually going hand in hand??.Not very long time ago children used to play outside all day, riding bikes, playing, teasing and chasing each other. There used to be a proper schedule for eating ,studying ,playing and sleeping. At least families used to sit together thrice daily to eat giving them opportunity to interact. But now children even get irritated when asked a simple question. Their mind isn’t getting time to think, they have nobody to laugh with, they are continuously yelling and shouting, they aren’t concerned about their family issues how can they be concerned about global issues? How will they develop their humane side? Are they actually living? It is indeed an alarming situation !Our bodies haven’t evolved biologically to this chaotic sensory over stimulation. Visual and auditory sensory systems are continuously being overloaded. Motor system isn’t getting the required stimulation .This continuous misbalanced stimulation burden has put our child’s motor and sensory development at risk. The essential sensory inputs that are immanent for the development of a child’s motor system are movement, touch and connection. Dr.Montagu states that touch-deprived infants develop into toddlers who exhibit excessive agitation and anxiety and may become depressed byearly childhood. Issues for DSM, TV and video game addiction is causing an irreversible worldwide epidemic of mental and physical health disorders .Cris Rowan (occupational therapist) describes this chaotic child situation by reporting that”

Sahar TahirArmy Medical College, Rawalpindi

aff ectionate relationships, the basic human desire. All the able medical students and organizations around the global should join hands to device the strategies to reduce technology use. Projects should be commenced at local level targeting all the schools. School going children should be made aware of this gigantic threat by showing them interesting videos and diff erent visually aided researches. Parents should be informed and sensitized so that they could play their role. Fliers should be distributed in general public to provoke their interest in the matter. Diff erent workshops should be conducted with the help of pediatrician helping parents to schedule children’s time, keeping children involved and interested in their society and cope with this situation. It is the need of hour that we confi ne the technology use before it confi nes us.

Children who overuse technology report persistent body sensations of overall “shaking,” increased breathing and heart rate, and a general state of “unease.” This can best be described as a persistent hyper-vigilant sensory system, still “on alert” for the oncoming assault from video game characters.” The results are devastating and the worst part is parents don’t even realize. The community needs to be made aware that technology is murdering our

Blood Thirsty Vector

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Rooha TariqFederal Medical

and Dental College, Islamabad

“Prevention is better than cure.” We have heard this mantra many times in our Community Medicine classes, but this time we thought to implement it in an attempt to eradicate malaria. The thought seems a bit far-fetched but it isn’t unattainable! Across the world, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Malaria proves to be the second most prevalent disease in the country with more than 60% of the population living in areas where it is endemic. The lack of awareness and education among the people has led to an escalation in victims of this disease. It is the need of the time to create awareness among the public that by eliminating breeding sites of mosquitoes and taking eff ective measures to safeguard oneself against the vector, malaria can be controlled to a signifi cant level. Following is an outline of the plan which we intend to implement:Aim: To spread awareness among the general masses about malaria, focusing on health education about its:• Transmission• Prevention • ControlWhere:The primary focus will be on government schools in various areas of the city. Visits to local schools proved their lack of awareness about malaria hence, they will serve as a focal point in our campaign against malaria.How:The aim is to educate people about malaria, its transmission and prevention. A small team of IFMSA members will go to selected schools and talk to the administration about this campaign, thereby getting access to the students. Diff erent pamphlets will be distributed among the students having instructions in English and Urdu,

accompanied by illustrations to help people of all ages and background understand. Our team, telling students of that school about malaria and its prevention, will give a short presentation/lecture. The idea here is for students to understand the extent to which they can play a role in eradicating malaria and to ensure that they carry that message back home and share that information with their families.Why:Malaria in Pakistan has had an unstable course of incidence and prevalence. Majority of the population is battling with poverty and hence they lack access to health facilities that ensure early diagnosis and eff ective treatment. There is signifi cant drug resistance (chloroquine resistance) prevalent throughout the country; this phenomenon is especially marked in areas along the western border of the country. Therefore, eff ective preventive measures, health education and increasing awareness of the masses are the much needed weapons in this war against malaria.We hope that this campaign develops into something even better and bigger than what it is envisioned to be. The purpose of this campaign will be considered served even if it saves the life of one human being from being a victim of this disease.

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Medical research is a vast fi eld which includes training primarily and substantially aimed at understanding or treating a human disease or human condition. Research is the basis of providing our people with the type of treatment and attention they need. Open access to research ultimately aims at providing a better healthcare system. Lacking open access to research destroys one of the basic pillars holding the health system.

Research, which started off as a scholarly pursuit, has now become the cradle of progress for all the elitist nations of the world, and the only potential redeemer of the developing nations; but science is an expensive luxury which the modest nations such as ours can’t aff ord, or at least that’s what the communal belief is. The paucity of science-based activities can inevitably be attributed to the factors such as scarce funding resources, inadequately furnished labs and lack of expertise. However, besides all these factors, an overriding cause of the crippled state of research in our country is the limited access to published research journals that has put research on the back seat. In our country, where being a scientist is neither a priority nor any incentive is given by the government to the people venturing

this area is therefore a must if we want to eradicate these problems. New and improved research can fi nd ways to probe the people to focus on balanced diet.Poliomyelitis is a crippling disease but it is avoidable only if we have enough resources, manpower, and minds to come up with a plan that makes everyone happy. There are a lot of myths circulating among the masses about polio vaccine such as: polio vaccines are non-religious and lead to impotence. The eradication of polio worldwide is only because of the preventive immunization but unfortunately in Pakistan the polio campaign has been hampered seriously. Health education regarding this issue and research aimed at dispelling the myths about polio drops can bring enormous changes. Polio- and polio vaccine- related researches

to enter and pursue this fi eld, lack of access to already existing research material is further discouraging our students and health professionals from getting involved in research.A large proportion of Pakistanis suff er from malnutrition because of poverty and lack of awareness. The recent deaths in Thar were a result of malnutrition coupled with poverty and lack of resources and awareness to access the essential drugs. Research in

OPEN ACCESS

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conducted worldwide in the recent years can be a great source of information and literature for further researches to be conducted at a local and national level.The access to drinking water supply is the fi rst need of a healthy life and a basic human right. In rural areas of Pakistan 90% of the population lacks such access. It is estimated that in our country 200,000 children die every year due to diarrheal diseases alone, the main cause of which is the use of contaminated drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease accounts for an estimated 4.1% of the total daily global average of the disease and 88% of this burden is attributable to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene. The water borne diseases include cholera, infl uenza, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, botulism, and in severe cases spleen and liver enlargement can occur if untreated. There is also an increased risk of malaria and dengue fever, since the stagnant water may

provide an ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes — the vector that is responsible for transmission. Therefore, there is an essential need of research for management of this problem supplying safe drinking water to masses as well as arranging essential medicines to avoid the 80% of all diseases. Research is undoubtedly expensive but in the long run not doing research is even more expensive.The only way out of this state of lack-of-research seems to be open access to researches already carried out in ours as well as in other parts of the world so that national and international researchers can play their role in improving the health conditions at a local as well as the global level.

Fatima AhmedArmy Medical College,

Rawalpindi

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Whenever, ¬ we hear the word ‘disabled,’ we immediately think of people who have something lesser than a normal person. Irrespective of the defi nition of disability, disabled people – also known as special people – have limited access to the opportunities and less share in the happiness of life. Disability is not just considered as an impairment that disables a child, rather the “disabling” way in which a society responds to a child’s impairment.

Special children are still struggling hard to fi nd a better place in the society and are living a life of neglect. Struggling with the invisible barriers, such as discrimination and feeling of abhorrence from their family members and the society at large, plunge them into the darkness of psychological stress; making them suff er twice. However, by arranging such events we can convey a message of love and acceptance to these people, who are among us.

IFMSA-LC PESHAWAR in corroboration with UNICEF, Special Education Department (Peshawar), UNICEF, social welfare department KPK, and Social Welfare Society hosted an amazing event, by the name of “Opening up to Special Children”. Initially, the event was more intended to be a fi eld trip for the members,

as games, talent hunt, and learning based activities for the disabled students. Diff erent competitions were held for the workshop participants and prizes were distributed among the contestants to boost up their morale and enhance their motivation. Moreover, providing them a sense of achievement made them feel a valuable part of the society.

The pre-event visits to the schools and institutions for special education indicated, how direly such activities were needed by the special children; who want to be considered as a part and parcel of this society and not parted away from the society. The participation of high-ups from the government offi cials and members of the civil society was laudable and encouraged the organizers for future activates of the

arranged by the cabinet members Alina Rahman, Ahmad Zuhayr Mufti, Khuban Roghani and Rizwan Hanif (IFMSA-LC Peshawar), but as more and more of local and international organizations showed up their interest, it gradually turned into a full-fl edge workshop. The aim of this event was to provide the disabled community an opportunity to forget the miseries of their life – be it for a while, and involve them in a variety of recreational activities, such

OPENING UP TO SPECIAL CHILDREN A WORKSHOP ON SEPCIAL EDUCATION

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type. The signifi cance of such events can

ever be underestimated, as the slightly less fortunate also have their stakes in the society. Instead of disowning this fraction of the population, they should be treated with the same dignity as the abled people. The workshop aimed at grounding the barriers which prevent children from participation in any educational or recreational activities, at par with other people in the community. A welcoming environment was extended

and activities were tailor made to the needs of the participants. More importantly, the impact of this event was that the special children felt embraced, when the community opened up to them and it was able to project a positive image of the community.

Disability is a matter of perception. If you are unable to do one thing, there will always be something else waiting for you to be done.

Alina RahmanKhyber Medical College,

Peshawar

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As his duty-hours in the OPD ended, Dr. Zaman handed over the charge to next doctor on duty and made his way through the waiting area towards the exit door of the hospital. Amidst hundreds of sore throats, fevers, surgical follow-ups and routine check-ups that fi lled the seats of the waiting area of the Outdoor Patient Department, the one that caught his eye was a short-statured, middle-aged man with a permanent frown sitting in the third seat of

the second row. The only apparent indicator of his belonging in a hospital would be his hands and forearms that were covered in several burns, all of which were in diff erent stages of healing. But there was something off about this patient that changed Zaman’s mind about going home as yet.

“Nurse, will you please escort that patient in the third seat of the second row to our medical ward upstairs? I want to examine him,” Dr. Zaman instructed the nearest nurse.

“Alright, but that patient is a known functional,” the nurse said before heading towards the said patient. If any other post-graduate resident would have made such a request, she would never have complied but this was not any other post-graduate resident; this was Dr. Muhammad Zaman

distinct features of this disease include short stature, facial disfi gurement, progressive weakness of upper limbs and loss of temperature sensation in hands and forearms, hence the numerous burns.

“For over fi ve years I have been to doctors and specialists all over the city, but all that they ever gave were anti-anxiety drugs and, unlike Dr. Zaman, none of them ever took the liberty of properly examining me,” the patient’s gratitude could not have been more profound.

None of this surprised any of his colleagues, for Zaman was a budding star who, in addition to his numerous publications, presentations, awards and lectures at international conferences had just recently been shortlisted as one of the 600 selected fellows for the 60th Meeting

Khan whose medical correctness was never to be doubted upon by his colleagues and patients alike.

After a detailed history and a meticulous physical examination of the patien, Dr. Zaman had all the clinical proof he needed to prove that this patient was indeed not a “functional case”. Instead, this was a patient of a very rare genetic disorder that had only 20 reported cases in all of medical literature to-date. The

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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of the Nobel Laureates out of 40,000 international applicants; and then further shortlisted as one of the 50 researchers for the Euro Science Open Forum out of the 600 Lindau Fellows.

When young medical students see him now, they see a successful genius, who has numerous gold medals and awards to his name. He is a symbol of success, so very few people know that in his second year of medical school, he had to face a terrible failure that left a greater mark on him than any of his successes.

Muhammad Zaman Khan chose the medical profession out of pure interest. After his distinction in the fi rst year of MBBS, his teachers as well as his fellow students began to recognize him as a quiet genius. Everyone, including himself, expected Khan to secure the highest scores in the Professional Exams of second year as well.

That day a few years back, he was a part of the crowd of young medical students who were gathered around the University Notice Board, craning their necks to catch a glimpse at their recently-displayed result of the Professional Exams of second year. A few moments later he overheard someone say, “Zaman Khan fl unked Physiology exam!”

It was like the entire sky had collapsed over Zaman. A hollow sensation took over him and everything else was a blur. For the next few days, it was all going to be a blur. It turned out that the examiner had failed him in the viva voce, which did not seem to make any sense especially since he knew he had done outstandingly well in the viva. Zaman isolated himself from his family, friends, everyone. Worried, Zaman’s father approached the Principal of the medical college.

Zaman’s father wanted to convince the principal that his son’s failure was

unjustifi ed. But the principal dismissed him saying, “All of the students that get admission in our institution are geniuses. But many of them end up failing in exams, and your son is no exception. Tell him to prepare for the supplementary exam, or else we’ll have to hold him back.”

That’s when Zaman realized that no amount of words can be used to prove that the examiner had failed him unjustly. So he decided to use his actions to convince everyone that his failure was indeed unjustifi ed.

At the end of the MBBS, three years later, Muhammad Zaman Khan had an astounding record of fourteen gold medals and seven distinctions to his name in addition to being the University Topper for the last two consecutive years of MBBS.

However, as the Convocation Day neared, it became known that Zaman was not to be declared as The Best Graduate of the session, because according to the university’s rules, anyone who has ever failed a Professional Exam cannot hold this title. There was uproar among the students, all of whom knew that no one deserved this title more than Zaman. Finally, the Academic Council decided to launch a new annual award of The Most Distinguished Graduate, superior to the award of The Best Graduate. Since then, every year the highest achiever of the year receives this award that was launched in recognition of the achievements of Muhammad Zaman Khan.

Zaman’s journey of success was complete well before then, on the day when the principal himself approached him and said, “As the head of this institution I must apologize, and admit that your failure in your second year fi nal exam was unjust.”

Haleema MunirAllama Iqbal Medical College,

Lahore

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Self Awareness:Leadership is what, a gift of God and

not everyone is blessed with it. But before leading someone else, a man needs to lead himself. Be it one’s success in life or an approach towards prosperity, all these factors need acceptance; self-control. That’s what constitutes the meaning of Self Awareness.

WHAT IS IT?Self-awareness literally means being

aware of oneself but includes the broad perspectives; strength, weaknesses, thoughts, believes, emotions, personality, motivation and emotions when studied on a wide scale.

WHY BE IT?Do we need it badly? Or it’s just

another useless protocol. Programs are held, speeches are delivered, motivational speaking became occupation, and societies redirected to work on it. Why all this fuss? A sentence covering the whole answer:

I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.

Billie Jean KingThe answer lies in the facts which

are, in order to get better understanding of ourselves. It gives us the ability to change

WHAT VALUE IT HAS FOR US?A self-aware person leads a more

successful and better life. He becomes someone who can take life’s turbulence in stride with a smile on his face and peace in his heart. He has more control over his relationships. Such a person has control over the anger and empathizes with others instead of doing or saying something that hurts them. He doesn’t get vote for Mr. Congenial! But becomes a person radiating positive vibes despite a tedious life.

Career decision is a cinch for him. Ability to evolve emotions and thoughts prevents him from getting disturbed over the grievous predicaments of occupation. It aff ects personality development. Being an optimist, he has more power and dexterity over exploring the legitimate career alternative.

Another value it has is that one can better handle those people who look down on him. At one time or another he may have been disparaged by his friends, co-

our interpretations and ultimate grip on our emotions. It eff ects believes, making our minds perspective. A better chance of learning and changing our weaknesses, enhancing our strong areas, being attentive and focused on what we really want. It’s like leading your mind instead of being lead.

PERSONAL POWER

SELF MANAGEMENT

RELATIONSHIP AWARENES

S

SELF AWARENESS

SOCIAL AWARENESS

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LLworker, his boss, and even by his family.

Admittedly, it’s arduous. However, he has better insight of who and what he is and understands why they look down on him. Why? Because they are unsure and insecure of themselves.

He sees them through their masks. And his self-esteem remains undented by their remarks. He feels the insult but the urge for revenge is suppressed by his self-awareness.

HOW TO BE IT?Control extreme emotional reactionsLet the core beliefs changeQuiet the criticizing voice in yourheadDevelop communicationRespect your relationshipsIntrospect regularlyExtend Love Create Happiness in your life 6 weeksAnd that’s it.

JOHARI WINDOW

This window was made by psychiatrist for self-awareness programs. It has 4 obvious boxes with the information corresponding to oneself and others. These areas help in collaborating with the team members and knowing one’s weaknesses.

• For self-awareness one needs to increase the open area, by reduction of the blind area, which would normally be achieved through the process of asking for and then receiving feedback.

• Feedback develops the open area by reducing the blind area.

• The open area can also be developed through the process of disclosure, which reduces the hidden area.

• The unknown area can be reduced in diff erent ways: by others’ observation (which increases the blind area); by self-discovery (which increases the hidden area), or by mutual enlightenment - typically via group experiences and discussion - which increases the open area as the unknown area reduces

Khawar Sana,King Edward Medical

University,Lahore

The Great Depression

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I was 15 years old when I found myself sitting in the offi ce of one of the city’s most respected psychologist. Wooden furniture, bespectacled gaze, pamphlets of numerous anti-depressants. I, however, was not the one facing such situation in which one wants to live in isolation, in a dark corner of the room, away from everyone. That was my friend; she was suff ering from what they call “Clinical Depression”. I was merely there for support. It was at that moment I realized

how our society needs to be more aware of the diseases that infect the mind.

As she struggled to get the right words out, I saw the psychologist’s gaze wander. I saw as he played with his pen, almost picking up his prescription pad on two instances, eager to prescribe a greater dose of anti-depressants. This man was my friend’s savior. This man was supposed to be in charge of her emotions, her feelings and her mind.

In the days that followed, I observed the behavior of her family. How her parents, well-educated and well-thought-of in their social circle, hid their daughter’s disease from everyone. How people who knew talked about her condition with such holier-than-thou disdain as if she chose to

distress, the upper middle and elite class prefers to keep such cases hidden inside the safety of their homes in a society that shuns the display of such vulnerabilities.

Although there are some psychiatrists who take the responsibility of power they hold seriously, many exploit this lack of awareness in the masses. I have personally encountered cases in which, the medicines a particular psychiatrist I know prescribed caused more damage than good. The diff erence between say Depression and Hepatitis A is that in Hepatitis A, you can see the damage being done. You can see what the disease is doing to the patient; you can see the sickness slowly draining their energy. However in mental diseases, such things remain masked. And hence when

have a mental disease. What I concluded from these observations was that in this society where most people fail to even acknowledge the existence of mental disorders, it is better to be a cancer patient than a mental disease patient.

Awareness about mental diseases in the common household is a matter of national shame and concern. Whereas the lower middle and middle class turns to the faith healers in most cases of mental

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people get in to the destruction on their insides, the society labels them weak.

Here are a few not-so-fun facts about mental diseases in Pakistan:

1: In Pakistan, 10-16% of the population, more than 14 million, suff ers from mild to moderate psychiatric illness, majority of which are women. Most psychiatrists attribute this majority of women to domestic violence.

2: Pakistan has only one psychiatrist for every 10,000 persons suff ering from any of the mental disorders, while one child psychiatrist for four million children, who are estimated to be suff ering from mental health issues.

3: Only four major psychiatric hospitals exist for the population of 180 million.

In a country battling mental disorders of this magnitude, education of the masses regarding the inevitable existence of these diseases is of vital value. In a country where almost one million people take their lives each year, how many individuals are we prepared to lose? Awareness and education through media and other channels are our main tools for this battle; and we must fi ght this battle at every cost and to the end. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to the generations to come.

Maheen PashaAllama Iqbal Medical

College,Lahore

Ahsan QureshiSaidhu Medical

College

Arfa AhmadKing Edward

Medical University

Eman KhanFrontier Medical

College

Fizza TahirRashid Latif

Medical College

Hiba FatimaFederal Medical

Dental College

Hira MunirFoundation

University

Maria JavedAllama Iqbal

Medical College

Sumera ShamsPakistan

International Medical College


T H E I N K P I L L

I became a member of IFMSA 2 years back and certainly, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. IFMSA has introduced me to a completely new

world, while simultaneously making the world seem smaller. Initiatives like; “THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL”, link up medical

students worldwide while allowing them to act locally. Such activities inspire us all and defi nitely many others, to realize our roles and

responsibilities as medical students and future doctors not just within the bounds of our society but to the world as a whole. There is no better

way to learn and groom individually and professionally.Most describe IFMSA as a platform of opportunities but I tend to disagree.

IFMSA is not just a platform, ‘it’s an engine that drives the platform.’ It fuels you with energy, inspires you with vision and motivates you to do bigger and better; hence, rightfully known as the “IFMSA Magic”.

IFMSA is huge and so are the experiences and opportunities that come with it. IFMSA drives the life-changing experiences, and

opens up avenues of opportunities and self-discovery. I am proud to be part of such an organization.

-Amna Rehman (Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore)

College Presidents and Coordinators of IFMSA-Pakistan, Thinking Globally and Acting Locally!


T H E I N K P I L L

I became a member of IFMSA 2 years back and certainly, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. IFMSA has introduced me to a completely new

world, while simultaneously making the world seem smaller. Initiatives like; “THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL”, link up medical

students worldwide while allowing them to act locally. Such activities inspire us all and defi nitely many others, to realize our roles and

responsibilities as medical students and future doctors not just within the bounds of our society but to the world as a whole. There is no better

way to learn and groom individually and professionally.Most describe IFMSA as a platform of opportunities but I tend to disagree.

IFMSA is not just a platform, ‘it’s an engine that drives the platform.’ It fuels you with energy, inspires you with vision and motivates you to do bigger and better; hence, rightfully known as the “IFMSA Magic”.

IFMSA is huge and so are the experiences and opportunities that come with it. IFMSA drives the life-changing experiences, and

opens up avenues of opportunities and self-discovery. I am proud to be part of such an organization.

-Amna Rehman (Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore)

Amna RehmanFatima Jinnah Medical College

Maida AliFatima Jinnah Medical College

Rabeea AmanArmy Medical College

Rooha TariqFederal Medical and Dental College

Yasir KhanDow Medical University

Zaigham HammadAmna Inayat Medical College

Mian Saad AhmedKohat Institute of Medical Sciences

Syeda AemanDr. Ishrutul Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences

College Presidents and Coordinators of IFMSA-Pakistan, Thinking Globally and Acting Locally!


T H E I N K P I L L


T H E I N K P I L L

EVENT REPORTSLocal Council - King Edward Medical UniversityLocal Council - King Edward Medical University

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MCHCP“A mother knows what is best for

her child” But in a country like Pakistan where the literacy rate is not as well marked as it should be and with just the 45% of the women literate one can expect that the mother might not know everything that is best for her child. Keeping that in mind IFMSA Pakistan King Edward Medical University Local Council, being in a very close proximity to two major gynecological hospitals i.e. Lady Wallington and Lady Aitcheson hospitals and one of the major pediatrics ward in Lahore i.e. Mayo hospital Pediatrics ward, took steps for making new and illiterate mothers aware of the proper ways to take care of their newly born and about the hazards of the wrong techniques. For that IFMSA Pakistan KEMU LC started “Maternal Child Health Care Program”. In this program members of the IFMSA with the proper training of the basic techniques to take good care of children went to the above mentioned hospitals and ward and visited the mothers. Workshops were given to the mother on how to bathe and massage a child and on how to make ORS (oral rehydration solution) if the child is sick with severe dehydration. Last year this project was directed by Afra Ishtiaque, a fi nal year student of MBBS at King Edward Medical University, about 40 of the members of IFMSA attended the event as offi cial guiders. Certifi cates were given to the guiders. A survey was taken in the end from the mothers. The results of which are as follows.

Arfa AhmadProject DirectorMCHCP

CAREER GUIDANCE SEMINAR

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Farkhanda QaiserProject Director

Career Guidance Seminar

To jump in a dark hole without a torch- that is what it would be like to choose a profession for studying without knowing what to do next. I observed many in my company that when they were asked what was their future plan and that how do they want to proceed with their profession, they didn’t know what to do next and I have observed many in my community who are taking the steps they should have been taking 10 years before. The career guidance seminar provides students with that torch.

IFMSA Pakistan King Edward Medical University Local Council started “career guidance seminar” to provide information to the medical students of the choices they can adopt for the future. It provided them with information on how they can proceed in medical profession according to their interests and talents in specifi c fi elds of medicine and surgery and which parts of the world they can explore and how.

Professionals who have explored those ways and are successful in their areas were invited to speak to the young minds

Last year the project director was Farkhanda Qaiser, a 4th year student of MBBS at King Edward Medical University. About 400 students from all over Lahore

attend this event each year. Last year students from CMH Medical College, Lahore Medical and Dental College (LMDC), Avisenna Medical College, Services Institute of Medical Science (SIMS), Fatima Jinnah Medical College and King Edward Medical University attended the event. Certifi cates were issued to all the students and a survey was taken from the students. Results of the surveys are as follows.

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NO TOBACCO DAY

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve

done it thousands of times.”Mark Twain

So the day had fi nally come to say goodbye to my beloved uncle, who had been in bed for over 1 years now, unable to perform any sort of physical activity due to the lamentable state of his lungs. A smoker since his teenage years and waiting for this

day to come since he was fi rst diagnosed 5 years ago. This is the story of relatives of around 1 million [1] that die annually by just smoking cigarettes.

Trying to quit smoking is diffi cult. Even with the help of all the stop-smoking pills that are available these days. People become dependent on the nicotine present in these cigarettes. Many people often face many problem to get rid of their cigarette cravings.

IFMSA-Pakistan KEMU LC recognizing these facts, arranged a No Tobacco Day Walk for creating awareness among the public about the hazards of smoking your life away. The event took place on 31st May 2013. The event was organized and headed by Arfa Ahmed. The team of IFMSA KEMU in collaboration with

Arfa AhmadProject DirectorNo Tobacco Day

the department of community medicine organized this event. A poster making competition was held to create inspiring posters to help people quit smoking. These posters were then pasted around the campus. We also made eff orts to convince the Government of Pakistan to make it necessary for cigarette makers to publish pictures of related diseases on boxes to discourage smoking.

The highlight of the event was the smoking awareness walk attended by over 200 people, who held up posters and banners to create awareness among people. The walk went on for almost 1.5 Km starting from Neela Gumbad,Lahore. In addition to these video presentations as well as motivational lectures were also given to help create the strong will needed to quit smoking once and for all. The lectures were delivered by Dr Zahid Pervaiz(MS Mayo Hospital), Professor Dr. Arshad Cheema (Head of Surgery Department), Dr Amir Bhutta (Associate Professor Surgery Department) and many others. A survey was then taken to judge the success of the event. A positive response made this event one of the memorable events for IFMSA-Pakistan KEMU LC in the year 2013.

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

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Project DirectorBasic Life Support

Report ByUnsa Athar

As doctors and MBBS students we spend our lives healing the ailing humanity. We treat patients with medicines and surgery and care but what we are never properly taught in the medical schools is dealing with emergency situations in natural calamities. To cater this need of the hour IFMSA-Pakistan KEMU (King Edward Medical University) LC organizes Basic Life Support Program with RESCUE 1122 annually.

Last year’s BLS program was a three-day workshop from 21st to 23rd May

THE DAY ONE: Participants gathered in the auditorium all with the heart of a warrior and spirit of a savior. The shield presenting ceremony took place and then the RESCUE 1122 announced ‘IT IS THE TIME FOR ACTION NOW’. The techniques regarding air way management and relief from foreign body airway obstruction were taught with such a skill that nobody lost the interest even for a second. After the lecture, students were divided in groups and were made to practice on the dummies and were corrected for even a minor mistake.

DAY TWO: CPR and the very essential Transport of Spinal Injury patient were

taught. It was amazing how a trivial mistake could be disastrous and how often did we think “it would be easy” and were proven wrong.

DAY THREE: THE TEST DAY. The participants had to take a written i.e MCQ based test and a practical test which was strictly judged and marked. Certifi cates were provided to all participants.References:Page Number 174:[1] – Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C, Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v1.2, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No. 10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr. Accessed May 2011.

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UNDERGRADUATE OPEN DAY

Here in our country, lack of awareness and proper counseling leads to the wastage of brilliant minds. Each year IFMSA-Pakistan KEMU LC successfully organizes OPEN DAY to nurture the disoriented minds of the young matriculation/O-levels and premedical students The Undergraduate Open Day was an event I attended as an undergraduate in 2012 and as an organizer in 2013. 300+ students attended the event with the zeal of becoming a doctor. Professors and students guided students about A levels/FSc. Study techniques, MCAT procedure, facts and fi gures about medical colleges in Pakistan and study options science fi elds other than MBBS. There were motivational speeches and videos, and to lighten the ‘nerdy’ environment skits and musical performances were presented by kemcolians. At the end the students were given a tour around KEMU and certifi cates were given.

Iqra SaeedProject DirectorMCHCP


T H E I N K P I L L

EVENT REPORTSAllama Iqbal Medical College - Local Council

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Aneeqa ShamshadProject DirectorBasic Life Support

Project Managers : Shoaib Javed, Awais Tariq, Seemal Faisal, Sofi a Muzzamal

Project Assistants : Fareeha Mirza, Ali bin Tariq, Maria Javed

Project Organizers: Ali Ishtiaq, Marium Imran, Jawaria Tariq, Abi Baker

Date: 24th-25th April, 2012Location: AIMC Lahore

Assisting Organizations: Rescue 1122Number and Details of Participants: 130 Medical Students. Participants were from

AIMC, SIMS, FJMC, CPMC, SKZMDC and FMH.

“Sudden cardiac arrest, Air way obstruction and Injuries to the spinal cord are leading causes of death. Learning early recognition and proper management of these conditions will reduce the morbidity and mortality”: this was the motive that drove the IFMSA-Pakistan LC AIMC to organize the 4th Basic Life Support Workshop for the benefi t of its member medical students. Attended by students from all the major medical colleges of Lahore, the BLS workshop 2012 organized by IFMSA LC AIMC, in collaboration with Rescue 1122, yet again turned out to be the biggest medical educational workshop in the city this year. The 2-day workshop, held at AIMC aimed at training the medical students of AIMC, SIMS, FJMC, CPMC, SKZMDC

and FMH in the fi eld of emergency life saving procedures, especially focusing at Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, Airway Obstruction Management and Spinal Injury Management. Each training session comprised of a verbal lecture and a practical demonstration by the Rescue 1122 instructors followed by practice sessions in which each and every participant performed hands-on training in real-life-emergency simulations, using the provided mannequins and all the necessary equipment. In order to become BLS certifi ed, the participants were required to pass a short written test and a practical test in which the skills they had learned during the workshop were assessed. Director General Rescue 1122, Dr. Rizwan Naseer graced the Closing Ceremony of the workshop with his presence and related the entire journey of Rescue 1122 from when he founded it to what it is today. The principal AIMC and DG Rescue 1122 presented the souvenirs to al the instructors. Both of them appreciated the eff orts of IFMSA LC AIMC and declared the workshop a success by all standards. The ceremony was concluded by the presentation of souvenirs to Principal AIMC Prof. Mahmmod Shaukat and to DG Rescue 1122 Dr. Rizwan Naseer by Faisal Inayat, President IFMSA LC AIMC.

BASICLIFE SUPPORTAIMC

BLOODDONATION

175

Raziq SahiProject DirectorBlood Donation

“The gift of kindness may start as a ripple that over time can turn into a tidal

wave aff ecting the lives of many.” Kevin Heath

Every single act of kindness has to face certain hurdles before it gets widely separated in the society. The veil of misconceptions has to be removed before the face of reality becomes visible. Lack of knowledge creates a storm of unawareness that destroys people’s judgment to make the right choices. And one such attitude has been vastly observed against blood donation. Diff erent perspectives exist regarding blood donation in our society. Some people think that donating blood will make them weak and that they may ill afterwards; others believe that they will acquire HIV or other infectious diseases. People having diabetes, epilepsy, high blood cholesterol, allergies and hypertension do not consider themselves eligible for blood donation, especially if they are on medication. Certain people fi nd blood donation painful and time consuming. Distrust of blood centre is another reason as people think that their blood will be sold at elevated prices by the centre to make money. All these misconceptions are a fabrication of unawareness. Blood donation

will not cause weakness if the donor is healthy and takes enough fl uids before and after the donation. The maximum time required for donating blood is one hour; your busy schedule is not worth somebody’s life! Moreover, there is always greater demand for common blood types as they are more frequently needed. Besides, new blood is formed within 7 to 14 days so blood can be donated every 3 to 6 months. Blood can be donated to authentic blood centres, which really work for the welfare of people and not just for money. IFMSA-Pakistan Local Council of AIMC recently organized a blood donation camp in collaboration with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and the enthusiasm of the students for this noble cause was commendable. The event was really successful in motivating the students as they realized the signifi cance of their donations in saving lives. Hence, frequent blood donation camps should be arranged. Medical authorities must use the support of media to create awareness among people so that they may feel it binding upon themselves to donate blood and make a diff erence in someone else’s life.

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Atika JabeenProject DirectorCareer GuidanceSeminar

Our lives are not much diff erent than a board of chess. A single wrong move can result in a devastating catastrophe; a single wrong or untimely decision can alter the course of our entire future. In today’s world, the professional and academic aspect of our lives is undoubtedly the most signifi cant aspect, and hence, it is imperative for our students and young professionals to be well-equipped with the weapons of information and knowledge to “make the right moves” when it comes to career-related decisions. As an antidote to the general lack of awareness of medical students with respect to the career opportunities available for them, IFMSA-Pakistan-AIMC-LC, organized a “Career Guidance Seminar for Medical Students” in collaboration with AIMCON. The event was a huge success with maximum participation from medical students from medical colleges from all over the city. The house was opened with a detailed presentation about the importance of career guidance, paying special focus to how each fi eld suited people of diff erent personalities and natures. The seminar followed a conceptual pattern for career guidance, beginning with the career opportunities provided by the basic sciences. This was followed by one of the most awaited parts of the seminar: presentation of the world-renowned surgeon, and holder of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Prof. Dr. Khalid Masood Gondal. He gave a clear overview as to how Pakistan provides two systems of Medical Post-graduation: one being College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and the other being the University System. Dr. Faisal Khosa, another eminent speaker, who has also been awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz recently, also addressed

the audience and focused more on how Pakistani medical students can make best use of the opportunities throughout the world and then give their best back to their nation and to the world at large. Pakistani medical students strongly believe in the concept of global health hence after graduation, many of them go abroad for further education, serving humanity worldwide. In this context, four diff erent speakers depicted and analyzed the amazing contributions made by Pakistani medical professionals in the UK, Australia, USA and Middle East by relating their personal experiences in the medical systems of the respective regions for the benefi t of the eager audience. The seminar ended with an interactive question-and-answer session in which the medical students attending the seminar cleared any ambiguities that they still had after being aptly guided by the distinguished speakers. The resource list provided by the organizers of the event included the email addresses of spokespersons of the event, ensuring better communication between the informers and those in search of the information. This Career Guidance Seminar truly fulfi lled the demands of its motto that went as “Make the Right Move, Decide Now”.

CAREER GUIDANCE SEMINAR

USMLEGUIDANCE SEMINAR

175

Maria AbidProject Director

USMLE Guidance Seminar

Date: 10th August, 2011Location: Auditorium AIMC, Lahore

Guests: Dr. Shaheena RaheemNumber and Details of Participants: 150

students, all from AIMC BEEP. One New Text Message: “Don’t forget to grab a nice bouquet on your way to college. -From IFMSA LC AIMC President.” And so, I directed my driver to turn the car towards the nearest fl orist. This was the only tiny detail of the event, USMLE Guidance Lecture, which had been left till the last day, owing to the obvious fact that the guests should always be welcomed with the freshest possible fl owers. IFMSA-Pakistan strives to keep its members up-to-date with the latest developments in the international medical spheres. For years, the medical students from all over Pakistan have gone on to serve not only their fellow countrymen but also their fellow human beings from other countries all over the globe, United States of America being one of such countries. On the popular demand of the medical undergraduate students of Lahore who wanted to keep up the golden tradition of serving humanity worldwide, IFMSA-Pakistan LC Allama Iqbal Medical College requested the world-renowned expert on

USMLE, Dr. Shaheena Raheem, to guide the undergraduate students with regard to successfully clearing the medical licensing exams aroad, especially that of the United States. Dr. Saheen Raheem’s lecture imparted valuable guidance to the students planning to clear USMLE in future as she related her own experiences at Harvard University and Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI). She also gave important tips regarding HOW to prepare, WHEN to apply and the latest study resources for USMLE. The lecture was followed by an interactive Q&A session, in which Dr. Shaheena answered the queries that the students had in their minds regarding USMLE. The seminar ended with the presentation of a souvenir to the speaker by our honorable chief guest.

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YOUTH LEADERSHIP

SEMINARWhether as representatives of a

ward batch of medical students, or as a head of a ward in a hospital or even as the administrator of an entire hospital itself, at some point or the other all medical personnel have to lead a group of their fellows or employees. And it is at times like this when the leadership qualities of these individuals are put to test.

Keeping up with its tradition of providing an eff ective platform for the medical students to help them excel not only in their profession as doctors but also as well-rounded human beings in all spheres of life, IFMSA-Pakistan LC Allama Iqbal Medical College, organized a Leadership Seminar with the very well-known Mr. Imran Khan on 28th April, 2011. Among those attending the seminar were non-medical students as well, from Youth Senate, for instance.

When the big day fi nally arrived, all preparations were as close to perfect as possible. Security measures had been given specifi c attention in order to avoid any unpleasant incident; hence the 40 police personnel who could be seen at and around the venue.

The students started arriving quite early to ensure that they got the best seats as to listen to the wise words of Imran Khan. The media personnel arrived even earlier to grab the best possible view of the stage for their comers. Finally, the man of

the day, Imran Khan, arrived with a horde of his supporters amidst their enthusiastic slogans.

The seminar began with the recitation of a passage from Holy Quran, followed by a welcoming address by the president of IFMSA-Pakistan local council AIMC, Mudassar Shafi q. Soon the stage and the rostrum were over-powered by Imran Khan and the whole audience fell silent to the level of pin-drop-silence as Imran Khan’s intellectual words soared through the room. At many places the thought-provoking speech was interrupted with long and continued applauses from the audience. During the speech, Imran Khan went on from quoting the general qualities of a good leader, to how each one of us has the potential of leading, to how our nation’s father, Quaid-e-Azam, is the perfect example to follow if we are to succeed as a nation. Imran Khan’s lecture on leadership ended amidst thunderous applause and a standing ovation by all the attendees.

Following this was a concluding address by our respected principal who, on the behalf of the whole organizing team of the event, expressed gratitude to Mr. Imran Khan for making this event possible.

On the whole, the event came up to the expectations of all the organizers, guests and attendees and entered the long list of “successful events” organized by IFMSA local council, AIMC, Lahore.

Muhammad MudassarProject DirectorYouth LeadershipSeminar


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EVENT REPORTSLocal Council - Khyber Medical College

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USMLE AND ELECTIVES GUIDANCE SEMINAR USMLE and Electives Guidance Seminar was conducted in Khyber Medical College for all years of medical students. Many people don’t know what electives are and even if they do know then they don’t know how to apply for them and there isn’t proper guidance about how can electives help our professional medical life especially if we are planning to go abroad at any stage of our life.

Aymen ShahabProject CoordinatorUSMLE and Elective Guidance Seminar

Proper guidelines were given on this topic by a doctor in an interactive seminar who passed all the 3-Steps of USMLE. Around 50 students attended the seminar. They were given recognition certifi cates for attending it but it was nothing compared to the knowledge they gained in how, when and where to apply for electives and A-Z of USMLE.

ENLIGHTENING THE DARK SIDE-WOMEN

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Kanwal RashidProject Coodinator

Elightening the dark side

The International Federation of Medical Students Association-Pakistan is a non-governmental organization and it develops culturally-sensitive students of medicine, intent on infl uencing the trans-national inequalities that shape the health of our planet. Although there have been attempts by the government to elevate the status of women in Pakistani society but IFMSA also recognizes the need of society participation to reduce violence against women. SCORP,

which is a Standing Committee of IFMSA, whose purpose is to work for human rights and peace by involving the medical students and youth, in response of the inequalities and violence.

Hence a step was taken, for the fi rst time here in the SCORP of IFMSA Pakistan KMC LC, to create awareness and stigmatize people about “GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE” prevailing here, in this part of the world.

This project was based on “VIOLENCE

AGAINST WOMEN` the primary goal being sensitization of students with regards to Women Rights and to engage them for promotion of equal rights of women. For this purpose, a poster competition was arranged which let the participants express their thoughts and perception towards violence against women in the form of colors. A Seminar/ Interactive workshop followed

thereafter, on highlighting the statistics and fi gures of such a problem or the victims of it. The types of violence were discussed. The cultural problems and the impact of such discrimination and power imbalance on women in our society were discussed. Walks were arranged during the 16 days of activism in 2013, with the use of banners. The participants were awarded certifi cates in the end.

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TBAWARENESS WORKSHOP

INTRODUCTION:IFMSA Pakistan KMC LC held a two-phase TB awareness workshop on 10th and 19th march, 2014 at Khyber Medcial College in Community Medicine Department. It was attended by more than 30 medical students.The workshop was jointly sponsored by:TB control programme KPKThe Global FundCommunity Medicine dept. KMC

PURPOSE:A two-day workshop, conducted by Mehdi Maqsood in collaboration with the above mentioned organizations, was held to address the challenges faced by people due to lack of awareness and to promote a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and reduce the chances of spread of TB. It aimed to improve case identifi cations and encourage treatment compliance. The workshop provided a platform for TB discussions in order to eff ectively fi ght the scourge of TB.Activi t ies:The event consisted of two phases:1- Poster competition2- Lectures on TB and its prevention

Mehdi Maqsood Project CoordinatorTB Awareness workshop

KMC)Fourth year studentsAnd closing speech by Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani (Health Advisor, KPK and chief guest on the occassion)

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION CEREMONY:Winners of the poster competition were awarded with shields, while the rest of the participants were given certifi cates by the chief guest. TB AWARENESS WALK:Faculty and students of KMC and KCD participated in the TB Awareness walk.The event also grabbed a lot of media attention.

WORKSHOP DAY 1: (march 10, 2014)Attendees were divided into groups.Each group participated and promoted TB awareness in the form of poster-making and delivering presentations. WORKSHOP DAY 2: (March 19, 2014)It included lectures by Dr. Maqsood (TB control team KPK)Dr. Ejaz (Principal KMC)Dr. Bushra (HOD Community Medicine,

ORAL HYGEINE WORKSHOP

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Malala RahmanProject Coodinator

Oral Hygein Workshop

INTRODUCTION:IFMSA Pakistan KMC LC held Oral Hygiene Workshop on 25th February, 2014. Sponsored by Colgate, the workshop was held to raise awareness about the importance of oral health among medical students.AIMS: The goal of the fi ve-hour workshop was: • To provide participants with basic knowledge about how to maintain their oral hygiene, • Demonstrate how proper oral hygiene practices should be conducted, • Encourage participants to apply the knowledge gained into their daily routine practices.Project co-coordinators: Malala Rahman and Zarmina Babar.ATTENDEES: 35 medical students attended the workshop which exceeded the planning group’s expectations.Attendees included: Students from Khyber College of Dentistry and Khyber Medical College, KPK and faculty members KMC.ACTIVIT IES:1. Introductory lecture describing briefl y oral hygiene and prevention of diseases at primary level. 2. Lecture discussing oral hygiene practices

by Dr Manzar Anwar HOD Community and Preventive dentistry KCD 3. Breakout session: A breakout session was conducted by with attendees gathered into six workgroups Session planners included: • diet analyses activity • myth busters • fun dental facts• tooth brushing techniques with group demonstrations • MCQ quiz • Drama group activity- each group had to come up with a slogan and use it to advertise Colgate toothpaste through a skit in the breakout session.• Each group was assigned a facilitator. Facilitators included:Saad KhanMuhammad owaisZarghuna khalidBrekhna mushtaqZarmina babarMalala Rahman4. Closing speech by Dr Ejaz Hassan Khattak( Principal KMC)

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WORLD KIDNEY DAY

Yet another successful Inter-collegiate event was conducted by IFMSA-Pakistan Peshawar LC, “World Kidney Day” in association with Hayatabad Medical Complex and Institute of Kidney Diseases(IKD), Hayatabad.The event was held in Kidney disease center in Hayatabad Peshawar on 13th March 2014. It included a seminar which brought together the leading nephrologists in town and the topics discussed were prevention and treatment of kidney diseases Inter-college poster competition was also held on the theme “Kidneys for Life”. Participants included students from Khyber Medical College, Peshawar Medical College and Rahman Medical College.

Adnan and BabarProject CoordinatorsWorld Kidney Day

2 teams from Khyber Medical College and one team from Rahman Medical College secured positions.Team 2 (KMC) won fi rst position at IKD poster competition ’14.Team 5 (KMC) won third position at IKD poster competition ’14.Cash Prizes were given to the winning teams along with shields by Head of IKD Department Dr. Atta ur Rehman and Health Minister KPK who was the chief guest on the occassion.


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EVENT REPORTSLocal Council - Army Medical College

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LET’S TALK. PERIOD

I remember the day before my fi rst day to school very well. I remember my father writing on to my school diary his phone number. I asked him why he was doing this so he told me the one thing that has been the golden rule in my medical education: It’s better to be prepared now then to be sorry later.

My sole reason to join IFMSA are the awareness programs because as a medical student what I’ve seen has given me reason to believe that recognition is the fi rst step to elevate a disease and then careful planning is the cure.

This is the reason I was ecstatic when Director SCOPH of IFMSA Pakistan AMC LC presented with the idea of ‘LETS TALK PERIOD’. The aim of this awareness program was to target girls of pubertal age and focus on issues, problems, management and myths regarding menstruation.

President of the Rawalpindi local council elaborated the plan and Federal Government Girls School was chosen for the program. Principal of the school during a meeting with us expressed that she wanted girls of pre-pubertal ages to be targeted as well. They were to be introduced to the concept of menstruation.

As the vice president of local council of Rawalpindi, Pakistan I worked closely with the local council to arrange the event. I was responsible for the pamphlets with introduction, problems encountered and their solution in menstruation. I also printed calendars which mark days of menstruation. These were to be distributed to teachers and students of the school.

The word was spread in our university for volunteers for this event. Response was amazing. Over 80 volunteers came to the school.

Ayesha JamilProject DirectorLet’s Talk. Period

interactional. I started with asking them to tell me about themselves. I joked and talked to make them comfortable. I gradually eased into the topic and explained all the basics. I kept on stressing on the fact the all I was telling them was no horror story and it was not to make them scared instead it was to help them be prepared for the future. It went very well. Soon the president told us that it was to regroup and leave. We said our good byes and those girls on their own initiative gave me their email addresses and told me that they would mail me if there was a problem. I of course, was obliged.

A famous quote says “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for an event when it comes.” This is the gift I wanted to give these girls.

The event commenced at 1600 hours on November 6, 2014. Every class was divided into groups of fi ve girls with two volunteers assigned to them

Volunteers of senior year in our university were given allotted girls from pre-pubertal age. This was done purposefully so that these girls could be handled with great care.

I along with my best friend were also allotted to girls of pre-pubertal age. I kept it

By Alina Khalid

World ORAL Health Day

41

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Rabeea AmanProject Director

World Oral Health Day

INTRODUCTION:Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) refers to

the fear of and anxiety towards going to the dentist. It exists in a considerable proportion of children and adolescents and is a major dilemma in pediatric dental practice which is responsible for the highest rate of noncompliance.

Lack of knowledge regarding oral hygiene can lead to tooth decay, bleeding gums, oral infections and so on .We planned to get started with some basic dental education and a thorough awareness of the steps that should and should not be taken towards great, long-term oral health and promote a positive friendly image of doctors towards the Children. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1.Celebrating healthy smiles2.Oral cancer awareness program3.Awareness camp: 4.Alleviation of dental fear and anxiety among children5.How to maintain a good oral hygiene!6.Hand washing techniquesSTUDENTS ADDRESSED SOS village- an orphanage situated in Rawalpindi.EVENT DETAILS:

Celebration of World Oral health Day was yet another one of the many tasks down the pipeline here at IFMSA Pakistan

AMC LC and having to achieve that was yet another one of the amazing experiences.The event started early in the morning after the grand opening done by Senior Medical Offi cers Lt Gen Azhar Rashid, HI(M), AMC — Surgeon General/DG Medical Services (Inter-Services), (Colonel Commandant of the Army Medical Corps).On the main reception booth , he entered the following words : “A very useful academic activity – Eff orts of youngsters is highly appreciated.”Students from SOS village were received warmly by medical students here at Army Medical College, and the smiles of their faces were ones which can`t be forgotten, I suppose they were much more excited than us. After the formal introduction of the institute came our fi rst presenterMETHODOLOGY1. Dental Chairs to familiarize the Children with the environment .Allowing them to play with things.2. Temporary Dental Clinic setup including all Basic Instruments that will help in future Anxiety Alleviation and making the children realize the these things are generally harmless3. Teams formed to give Hand Washing guidelines to the children4. Teams formed to give Tooth Brushing guidelines to the children

42

Volunteer Program for Children Suff ering

from CancerAlthough cancer can be treated with

chemotherapy and radiotherapy but it requires long therapies and drugs that have diffi cult patient compliance. Hence, most patients get disappointed from their lives. At this critical time, the only thing they need is hope that brings them back towards life. Talking with patients and giving them hope of life has always resulted in positive outcomes. And so, an event was organized for children suff ering from cancer.

IFMSA Pakistan AMC LC in association with Arts & Graphics Society AMC Rawalpindi conducted an event in CMH Rawalpindi Pediatrics oncology ward, on 24th April, 2013. Students from both MBBS and BDS program participated in this event.

In life, the hardest thing to do is smile and keep your head up, while you’re dying inside bit by bit. Pediatric oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children. Children with cancer are at risk for developing various cognitive or learning problems.

A primary goal of the program was to encourage students to pursue a career in cancer research.

Sana JavedProject ManagerVolunteer program for children suff ering from cancer

Students helped the kids to deal with the stresses of treatment and to recover through play and art therapy. It is through play and art that they expressed their thoughts freely and AMC students could help them to feel better.

At last the event ended with the results that were expected. Children enjoyed this event. Hence the purpose of the event was fulfi lled.

“Smile , i t ’s free therapy’’ . Douglas Horton.

Students of AMC painted the walls of Pediatric oncology ward. Face-painting arrangements for children were also made. Medical students fulfi lled diff erent tasks appointed to them. To resuscitate the innocent disappointed children, ward decoration, wall graffi ti, games & musical arrangements were organized.

When asked what is the most painful part of treatment? Almost all the kids had the same response, “CHEMOTHERAPY.”

Poster Competition

43

Umair HassanProject Director

Poster CompetitionReport by

Fatima Sajjid

T i t l e : ‘Myths about Blood Donation: What is and what’s not?’I n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h : Amcolians Blood Donors SocietyD a t e : 28thFebruary, 2014Chief Guests for the Eve nt:Lt Gen (retd) Mustafa KamalMaj.Gen Mohammad AyyubMaj.Gen Shahab NaqviCol.Nuzhat MushahidBrig.FarhatA i m s a n d O b j e c t i v e s :•To eliminate the myths attached to the idea of donating blood.•To aware the masses about the kind of myths that exist and how they are just false apprehensions.•Learning with fun and inculcating the spirit of blood donation.•Motivation and awareness for students in helping them get over their fears of blood donation.F u n d e d B y : Amcolians Blood Donors Society and IFMSA Pakistan LC RawalpindiA r t i c l e :

The process of blood donation and its consequences have always been surrounded by uncountable myths. And it is these misunderstandings that shroud over the much higher purpose of donating blood and saving lives and hamper volunteer donations. For the past 5 years, the members of Amcolian Blood Donors Society have

faced queries and myths from donors about what blood donation is and what it does to the donors; though the members and representatives of the society are specifically trained to answer these questions and clear any misunderstanding, we felt a growing need to create a mass level awareness about the common myths about blood donations and the true facts. What could be a better way of displaying these unanswered questions than through student’s artistic representations.

The competition had two categories for ‘Handmade Posters’ and ‘Computer generated Posters’. 54 posters for handmade and 14 for computer generated category were submitted. The gallery was opened for judgment on 28thFebruary. The posters were judged on creativity, adherence to the topic, message conveyed and neatness. After the compilation of the results, the gallery was opened for the public.

Student’s creativity and participation was much appreciated on the administrative and department level. And initiative to organize further such events was supported.

‘Myths about Blood Donation: What is and what’s not?’ achieved the aim of targeting all the common myths a university student has regarding

44

FLOOD RELIEF CAMPSA village full of natural beauty was

captivating the attention of people living all around and within the village. A river passing from the center of village made the village more attractive. River was a source of water for the fi elds of farmers. A cool breeze of blessings was blowing when suddenly black clouds of grief and sorrow appeared on the village.

Watercourse turned into fl ood resulting into a raging torrent of large scale destruction. River that was a fortune for villagers caused great havoc when it was in fl ood. The water level was rising constantly.

At this time people raised their hands for pray because they found no way to escape from this devastating situation. Flood had caused great devastation.They had to re-establish everything. They needed someone who could help them to restart their life again.

Natural disasters have always been an unavoidable situation raising and increasing the need of medical care provision for the public. Facing a similar catastrophic fl ood in 2010 Pakistan got its half portion submerged under million gallon silt and dirty water. Around 2.5 million people were displaced and 50,000 died. WHO and United Nations has always stressed upon provision of quality health care , initiation

Sana JavedProject CoordinatorFlood Relief Camps

of humanitarian health action further increased the importance of providing help and support at the earliest during natural disasters management.

IFMSA has voluntarily always participated in conducting activities for well being of public. IFMSA Pakistan AMC LC in collaboration with Amcolians undergraduate research forum (AURF) organized a medical relief camp from 15-30th August at diff erent districts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa to help people recover their losses and support the injured through medical fi rst aid.

A group of around 80 students participated in the medical camp arranged. Two camps were set up one at Charsada and another at Nowshera. People were treated in Minor Operation centers of the camp and free medications were provided. Food items were also distributed among the people around the camps. Children were specially taken care of as they were repeatedly complaining of gastroenteritis there. People were counseled and guided about hygiene and use of nets to avoid spread of diseases. A hectic and laborious task though was completed with contentment after half a month’s toil in bring people to a better point from the gloominess the fl ood left.


T H E I N K P I L L

I F M S A - PA K I S TA NT H E I N K P I L L

2009 2010 2011 2012

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU

No Tobacco Day WalkLC-KEMU

MCHCPLC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU


MCHCPLC-KEMU

World TB AwarenessLC-AMC

Flood Relief AwarenessLC-AMC

Breast Cancer AwarenessLC-AMC


MCHCPLC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU

Asthma AwarenessLC-KEMU

USMLE Guidance SeminarLC-AIMC

Flood Relief AwarenessLC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-AIMC

Youth Leadership

SeminarLC-AIMC

BLS WorkshopLC-AMC

Advanced Life Support WorkshopLC-AMC

Oncology Ward Renovation

LC-AMC

MCHCPLC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU

Undergraduate Open DayLC-KEMU


T H E I N K P I L L

2013 2014

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU




LC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-AIMC

CareerGuidance SeminarLC-AIMC

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU


MCHCPLC-KEMU

CareerGuidance Seminar

LC-KEMU


BLS WorkshopLC-AIMC


Eliminating Myths about

blood donationLC-AMC

World Oral Health DayLC-AMC

MCHCPLC-KEMU

BLS WorkshopLC-KEMU



LC-KEMU


BLS WorkshopLC-AIMC

No Tobacco Day WalkLC-AIMC

Blood Donation CampaignLC-AIMC


T H E I N K P I L L

the ink pill

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