Turn on the lights!!!

Developing countries have had extremely limited options for safe waste disposal, especially for used and/or contaminated sharps (lancets, blades, syringes or hypodermic needles with or without attached tubing; broken glass items such as Pasteur pipettes and blood vials, and other invasive devices) that can cause injury and that are associated with significant risk of infection if indiscriminately disposed.

(Infectious waste can also include non-sharps, e.g., materials that have been in contact with blood, its derivatives, or other body fluids, e.g., bandages, swabs or items soaked with blood.) While generally less than 10% of health-care waste is considered infectious, many countries have poorly developed waste segregation practices. This complicates waste management since commingling sharps and other infectious waste with non-infectious waste will increase the amount of waste considered infectious that requires special treatment for safe treatment and disposal.

Resources are extremely limited in many countries, especially in remote areas. Consequently, open pit burning is still widely practiced for health-care waste including sharps, though this practice is objectionable due to emissions, the incomplete disinfection and destruction of the waste, and community complaints.

The volume of health-care waste varies by the size and activity of the clinic/hospital/provider. Small rural clinics may generate relatively small quantities of infectious waste, e.g., 1 to 10 kg of sharps per month. Quantities can be orders of magnitude greater at large urban clinics and hospitals. Quantities can greatly increase during immunization campaigns, e.g., the 2001 measles mass immunization campaign in West Africa (covering all or part of six countries) vaccinated 17 million children and generated nearly 300 tons of injection-related waste. Throughout the developing world, WHO estimates that routine immunizations of children under one year and immunization of women of childbearing age with tetanus toxoid accounted for over one billion injections in 1998, while measles control/elimination activities and disease-outbreak control operations accounted for another 200 million injections in the same year (WHO 1999). These 1.2 billion injections are estimated to produce 12 000 to 20 000 tons of infectious waste. Additional immunizations are anticipated as new vaccines appear and for the poorest countries where vaccines are needed most.

Safe waste disposal options are needed to deal with these quantities, as well as the wastes generated by routine health-care provision.

Incineration has been used for many years. Incineration can destroy or inactive infectious waste, provide significant (>90%) mass and volume reduction of the waste, and render materials (syringes, etc.) unusable. Moreover, it generates enough electricity to carry the burden of one district at a time. Incineration plants provide thermal recycling of refuse fuels. In particular waste and garbage from the following are burned: Waste from private households, Local waste, and Industrial waste. Due to rising amounts of garbage, as well as a stronger environmental awareness, waste incineration is of an ever greater importance. Garbage in many countries was and is still disposed of by simply throwing it on to garbage dumps or in landfills. The decomposition of this garbage on the dumps creates a dangerous mixture of toxic effluents, gases and chemicals, which can endanger the groundwater. By burning the garbage in combustion plants, this danger can be avoided and the energy created in the burning process can be captured and re-used.

Everywhere, where population, industry and prosperity grow, waste incineration can represent safe disposal of waste. Incineration plants are from a process point of view comparable to conventional coal-fired power stations. Many plant components are the same. The capacity or size of an incineration plant is however limited to the garbage amounts which can be burned per year. A medium size plant will burn on average 200,000 tonn of garbage per year.

In developed countries, recent regulatory initiatives have significantly changed the utilization, design and operation of incinerators. In developing countries, controlled air incineration using low cost engineered small-scale facilities has been promoted by national governments and UNICEF and is currently used in a number of countries, often with external support. Small-scale incinerators may be built on-site, locally constructed, fixed and/or portable. Units typically operate for 1 to 6 hours per week or month in a batch or intermittent mode to destroy sharps and other health-care waste. For example, the brick incinerators, designed at De Montfort University by JD Pickens, have been introduced into both remote and urban areas in several countries, e.g., West and East Africa, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, etc. When new and appropriately operated and maintained, these high thermal capacity incinerators can achieve relatively high operating temperatures (700 to 800 C), largely destroying the waste and helping to reduce production and emissions of dioxins and furans in stack gases and ash. 

Khawlah Raja

Love the way I'm..

I am polite, loving, confident and affable. But like every person, I have some imperfections. I am at the same time, a little short tempered and I try to impose my personal will and decisions on others. I am very bold which leads people to develop misconceptions about me.But I don’t really care about what they say because that’s totally not me. I am very tolerant but the only thing that I cannot bear is lie.

I am not arrogant, I am not rude but I am just not clever enough to judge people so I stay away from them because, for me, being alone is far better than being with someone who is not loyal with you and doesn’t know the simple ethics of being someone’s friend.
For me the only thing that matters is the afterlife. I do whatever I want to and I don’t like to give explanations for it to anybody. Because, I believe, only He (Allah) deserves my justifications as He is the only one who will stay by my side when no one else would help me.

My family and my friends have always been my top priority. I am very attached with my grandfather. He always stands right beside me whenever I need him.
I like going out of the way for the people I love and fulfill their expectations. For me, being selfless is better because it gives you that happiness which nothing else can give. At times, when I am completely helpless and depressed, I try to stay strong, be patient and try to solve my problems rather than running away from them. I am totally satisfied with my life because Alhamdullilah I have everything that I need rather I have more than it.

To a better Pakistan....Cleaner Pakistan

We talk about progress - we talk about changing the world, we talk about changing our idealogy, but in a world where we ourselves cannot take action - where would we find the strength and the unity required for change?

In a country where you cannot walk two streets without spotting some sort of mess on the side of a road - or maybe next to a dumpster... where you can be rest assured that throwing a juice box or a soda bottle out of your luxurious car won't earn you a fine - progress can only remain an illusion.

A nation's power stems from its people, and Pakistan's reality is that it is racked with filth... not the filth that is contained within the hearts of its inhabitants but the filth that surrounds us 24/7 - this is something that the people of Pakistan can take proper action on but refrain from doing so - only because it seems a trivial matter to minds that are apparently capable of bringing about a wave of much more influential change, ironically however ignoring the first thing that gives off the impression of a powerful country - it being a neat and clean abode.

 

People ask – what can I do alone as one man? What difference would one man make? But Rome wasn’t built in a day, an army isn’t formed in one minute and surely a nation can’t be saved in a matter of seconds. It requires the united efforts of all sectors of society – it requires the personal efforts that extend from the very confines of our own home... taking out the trash in a proper manner than in the way we do now. Maybe refrain from throwing junk out of our car windows, have garbage trucks regularly make trips to make sure the trash isn’t lying around... stop oneself from throwing everywhere around the trashcan and try throwing garbage inside it. Not only that but one can also assist in picking up the trash from the roads and streets – it’s our home, we need to take action. A little action spurs a chain reaction that reverberates through generations at times. A spark can ignite a flame – so even if you’re alone today, you’ll be leading a group of trendsetters tomorrow.

So get to it – to start toward an alternate Pakistan, a better Pakistan... a CLEANER Pakistan!

 

Start implementing or Jehanzeb Noor Uddin will eat you alive!

 

Let's get a proper education system!

Getting education is every man and woman’s right. Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. It is the sole basis on which the world is progressing.

Secondary education in Pakistan begins from grade 9 and lasts for four years. After end of each of the four school years, students are required to pass a national examination administered by a regional Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (or BISE). The first two year course is locally termed as 'matriculation certificate' or 'matric' for short. Students then enter an intermediate college and complete grades 11 and 12. Upon successful completion of these examinations, students are awarded the Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (or HSC). This level of education is also called the FSc/FA or 'intermediate'. An alternative qualification in Pakistan is also available but is maintained by a foreign examination board instead of BISE. This alternative qualifications is known as the General Certificate of Education (or GCE), where SSC and HSC are replaced by Ordinary Level (or O Level) and Advanced Level (or A Level) respectively. These examinations are conducted under the pretext of Cambridge Board which has its main headquarters in Britain.

 The syllabus used in BISE is very old and no significant changes have been made to it whatsoever. Students who want to pursue degrees in medical and engineering can go along with this old syllabus but students who want to go for business, law or media have to study an updated course. CIE is an internationally recognized board with updated courses and thus is helpful for students. Students who pursue O/A’ Levels find it difficult to score good marks in medical and engineering entry tests. This is because the entry tests for engineering and medical universities are made entirely from the syllabus of Fsc. A’ Level students have a maximum of two months to prepare for it. Furthermore, O/A’ level grades are converted into FSc/FA equivalence marks which lowers the marks of O/A’ Level students and also reduces their chances of getting into a good university.

Hence it can be concluded that CIE is a better board and far superior in quality when compared to BISE. But students who wish to pursue a degree in medical or engineering in Pakistan should most definitely opt for BISE. This is because it will help them in the university entry tests. Other than that, students who can afford it or are willing to pursue any other degree or wish to go abroad should most defiantly opt for CIE.

The difference in these boards is creating differences among students. Discrimination is taking place and dividing our youth. Thus the government should take steps to improve the working of BISE to root out this discrimination problem. They should bring their books up to date with the present. More subjects should be introduced to enhance the creativity skills of students. Examination system should be improved upon i.e. exams should be taken in better examination halls and steps should be taken to avoid cheating. In this bring way BISE can be on the same level as CIE and our youth can be on the same wavelength to bring about a change in the country. 

PLAY YOUR PART. By: Hiba Mazhar

It was a fine Sunday morning ruined by the visit of my father’s cousins from abroad. Before I knew they were going to pay a visit, I had planned to spend the day at home studying for my Marketing quiz. They wanted to visit the Shalimaar Gardens and as an order from my father, I had to be their tour guide. I had no idea what to do about my quiz’s preparation. Being an obedient daughter, I drove my guests to the historical garden.

Culture and Changing Trends

Stepping in the garden filled with beautiful old walls and trees, we were mesmerized by the view of more than 400 fountains rising from the canal and the basin which threw up water back into the marble reservoirs. It is one of the best preserved Mughal buildings standing as it was for the last 400 years. A line of fountains in a water channel stretching  a long way making the sounds of nature more soothing to the ears, we were in a very peaceful aura. The care-takers of the gardens told us that the fountains go through a full maintenance program before every Spring. We all went crazy over the place and started taking loads of pictures. The passion for photography at one end and the exploration of ancient beauties at the other, It really was beautiful.

Being a Pakistani citizen, just try and play your own individual part. Blaming one another is the easy way out. You are only answerable to your own deeds. These buildings need a lot of attention. The maintenance costs are increasing and the government revolutionaries refuse to allot the justified share to this side. A little contribution towards this cause can make wonders. I am doing my part by writing this article and informing you about a breathing view you might want to experience. Why? Because I want our next generation to be lucky enough to see it. ARE YOU PLAYING YOUR PART?

-Author: Hiba Mazhar.

Saving Pakistan

It’s a tale of sixty five sad years, a story of dismay, disloyalty and disparity. So many innocent lives were sacrificed to make the Islamic Republic State of become independent and sovereign. But as the time went on, slowly and gradually, joys of freedom became sorrows of slavery, dreams of prosperity became nightmares of poverty and selfishness, greed and injustice took its place

For four times the constitution has ripped apart by the notorious army dictators. When democracy was given its turn the corrupt and incompetent politicians looted the country’s wealth.

 However the hope is still not lost. Pakistan still has lots of potential to stand up again and let the world know that we are to be considered a nation with pride, a nation with honor and a nation with self esteem. We have the ability to become of the great nations ever existed and it’s not some fairy tale I am talking about its quite possible but we have to take considerable actions to do so.  

In our country the system which going on is a parliamentary system and it is an obstacle towards the wellbeing of our country. It has given the right to the wrong doers to take control and rule

the masses. We need uniformity in our system through which we can treat every province and every state equally. The decisions have to be the same all over the country and with so many different political parties working at the same time for different interests it is not possible.

The party would intend to bring equality and justice to all, in the country. Resources will be equally divided. There would be no class difference, everyone will have equal and rightful share in the state.  As an Islamic state, Pakistan, the ruling governemt will follow the guidance of Holy Phrophet (P.B.U.H) and the way he ran the Islamic State. 

- Hamzah Sohail

Revival of Culture and Arts?

While most of the nation are sharing their opinion over the fact that how media has a major influence in changing our Cultural trends not many have noticed the efforts of those who have helped in keeping our cultural  vein alive. The fact that organizations such as Rafi Peer theater  Institute for preservation of art and culture, Kuch khaas have been working hard to revive music, arts and culture, in a country that has lost its entire sub continental ethos; is going unnoticed. These organization have been working for a long period now, emphasizing on our Sufi roots and bringing in puppeteers, artists, talents from all across the globe with hardly any support from Government or any other authority. While being alleged of creating poison in to the minds of our society for bringing in dances, music and festive these organizations have brought platforms too many of the famous artists known across the globes. Speaking of culture, our nation has one of the most diverse societies. Inside these cultures we had amazing Sufi poets like Waris Shah, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai etc. These organizations helped promote their compositions, their poetry and thought provoking saying that has been passed on for ages. These compositions were experimented many times and the songs have also been performed in the modern pop genre as well. These associations have given their immense support to the young talents of Pakistan by providing those platforms to express their abilities in theater  music, poetry and even puppetry.

The question to be asked is that will their effort be every noticed by the masses of Pakistan or will they always be ignored and considered as a part of society alleged for influencing the general public negatively. These people have worked their entire life for the upbringing of entertainment industry in Pakistan (Rather what is left of it). They need to be supported and appreciated for keeping us in touch with our own cultural identity.