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issue MOOD
STREET Town
Talk emergency For
the love of history Though he works as a senior assistant in a bank, photography is his real passion. He learnt the basics of this delicate art from Syed Faisal Bukhari, a well-known film director and cameraman, and honed his talent over the years through sheer hard work. The worst misperception is that a customer believes that these sets are exact copy of original mobile phones By Waris Ali Everybody knows that there are China-made cellphone sets rampantly available in the market and also that they are very low-priced, attractive in appearance and offer some exclusive features too. But very few customers know what is in the bottom hidden from even some high-tech conscious people. A China-made mobile phone set is an incomplete gadget, especially in terms of its software.
Running out of patience Ammara Ahmad Pakistan's healthcare system is very over-loaded. Everyone has to approach a private practitioner at one time or another. Most of us have had the bitter experience of waiting for hours or days for a doctor, despite having an appointment. And even calling a clinic and receiving an appointment for several months after. This report is to analyse this painful and widespread
phenomenon that seems to be more frequent nowadays. The complaints are
widespread that a new doctor had to be approached in the midst of a
treatment, emergency patients were not catered, patients waited outside while
the "safarshi" were being checked, or the guests had a prolonged
chit chat with the doctors. In the waiting room of a renowned eye specialist, we can see some forty to fifty tired faces. Some of the patients are quite old and sagging, and would be thankful if their turn came within the next few hours. "I went to a skin doctor, who wasn't even a qualified dermatologist but kept me waiting for hours. Later, I realised that many other patients had the same appointment time as I did," said Zubaria Masood. Another patient in a different clinic said, "Sometimes, if a fellow patient enters first, we have to be kept waiting, otherwise it is usually not more than half an hour." According to an approximation, the doctor to patient ratio is 1254 patients to one. Dentists are perhaps the most in demand while in Pakistan, for every 20,839 patients, we have one dentist. Dr. Zafar Iqbal, a dentist in Saadat Hospital, Lahore believes there are two or three reasons for this. Hence the major reason behind the delayed appointments is this shortage of doctors. The demand is much higher than the supply, hence the waiting rooms are always choked. "When doctors start an hour late, everyone has to
wait," says Dr. Iqbal. "Patients also get entangled with guests or
traffic. Many arrive without an appointment, just because the doctor is
friendly to them." Many of the doctors run clinics, work for the government, teach, hold administrative positions in colleges and perform managerial tasks there. The system is taxed further by the flood disaster which requires doctors to move to disaster-struck areas. Meetings with the ministers and other administrative affairs also make the matters worse. Since every doctor has to thrive in the same society, their favours to VIPs and politicians, relatives, sitting ministers are usually acceptable. "The only time I went to see an ENT specialist; I had to wait for three hours," said Noman Siddiqui. "The only reason I waited for the doctor who was busy at home with his guests, was that I had paid the doctor's fee in advance." Dr. Rubina Felix, a gynecologist believes that poor time management lies at both ends. "Patients believe since they have paid the doctor's fee, they can go at their own leisure. Ten to fifteen minutes are not taken into account. It is medical ethic to see emergencies first. When this happens, we need to communicate why the delays happen." More then 50 percent of the doctors have private practices, according to the Health Ministry. There are neither enough government jobs nor good pay-scales in the government sector to accommodate these private practitioners Furthermore, the population of the country is growing at 2 percent a year, but the number of hospitals and health professionals is not. No big hospitals have been added to the major cities in the last one decade. According to a Ministry of Health report, less than a thousand hospitals are operating across the country. It is no surprise that private practice is so common. And again, no revelation that doctors are over-worked and keep you waiting for hours at a stretch. There is hardly a threat of losing patients with this much demand. Since the population is rising, new medical facilities are promised by the Health Ministry each year. But like most government promises, these never materialise. The major factor being, that less than one percent of the government budget is allocated to health. This vacuum in government healthcare gives room for private practices to bloom. Even in one of the best private hospitals, patients can have an appointment at eight in the morning, but be operated by four in the afternoon. "My wife and I, both old, have almost ten different specialists to deal with now," says an aging Mehmood Ahmed. "Some are absent on long vacations in Europe, others don't meet without a reference. The worst was the eye-specialist who kept me waiting for months and eventually misoperated my glaucoma that was fixed by another doctor." The fact of the matter is that private healthcare remains as unregulated as many other sectors. Doctors need to devise a mechanism where they can minimise the delay in case of appointments, especially in their private clinics. They can allocate an extra half hour, either before or after the given appointments, for their friends and relatives. They should politely inform the patients in case they have to attend to an emergency. And lastly, they must ask their secretaries who manage appointments to be a little more professional.
Beauty and aging By Bushra Sultana Two years ago I read a post about aging written by the American novelist Warren Adler on his blog. Adler, then 70, admitted hating the aging process, and detailed his feelings in these words: "I hate the accelerating deterioration of my inner and outer body parts, the declining sharpness of hearing and sight, the slowing pace of my legs, and other unmentionable afflictions." For someone on the latter side of her 20s, these lines
showed a different aspect of getting old -- one to which I had not paid much
attention earlier. It also made me realise the superficiality of the
obsession with aging which people in their 20s and 30s (especially women)
have. Many readers will agree with me when I write that we are surrounded by (and sometimes are a part of) groups of people who continually dwell and comment on their increasing age. I have heard 24 year-olds dreading the day they will be on the "other side of the 20s", 30 year olds thinking of botox and facelifts because they are not "young" anymore and -- most disturbingly -- 18 year old girls sighing at the fact that in two years they won't be teenagers anymore. Teenagers! Aren't they supposed to be excited about becoming adults and thus more independent? Isn't the idea of not being told anymore what they can or can't do enough to spark exhilaration? I suppose this is why boys look forward to becoming adults while women, with their market value decided by the number of their years, subconsciously know the struggle with domestic authority will likely continue all their lives. But I digress. Where exactly have we gone wrong with our young girls? What is this obsession with youthful beauty? The purpose of this article is to not get in a philosophical debate about the concept of beauty but just talk in practical terms. We have completely tarnished the self-perception of the young women of our society. Girls today face a torrent of images, all of which give a clone-like concept of what is desirable: long hair, straight nose, full lips, insanely thin figure, wrinkle/hair free skin and fair complexion. A colleague at work recently showed me this advertisement printed in a leading magazine of Lahore which showed a woman with her head on the back of a man's shoulder, as he stood facing away from her. The ad was for all kinds of beauty treatment and cosmetic procedures. The company's message? One way to ensure the husband/partner's "loyalty" was for the woman to stay "charming" and "beloved". Yes, that way he would never digress and the couple would live happily ever after in the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai style where Shahrukh only falls in love with Kajol when she transforms herself into the accepted archetype of woman. The first time I saw the ad, I rolled my eyes and laughed it off. It was beyond my understanding how anyone could take this ad seriously. But as I thought about it, the audacity, superficiality and (yes) smartness of the people responsible for this sank in. The purpose of the ad was not to be politically correct or socially moral. The purpose was to increase their revenue. And what better way to do that than playing on the vulnerability of the women who have been brought up in an onslaught of multimedia images of a very defined idea of beauty. Stephanie Dolgoff from America has recently written a book titled, "My Formerly Hot Life". It is filled with sad and (supposedly) funny incidents which made her realise that she is getting old and is no longer the "hot girl". Some of the signs which made the ticking of the clock even louder include, a) she had to wear makeup in order to get the 'no makeup' look; b) she no longer knew any cool places in New York; c) a hot guy on the subway just asked her for time and did not subsequently hit on her. Though Dolgoff is smart enough to realise that aging is not just about loose skin and open pores, but the fact that she felt the need to start and maintain a (very popular) blog which focuses on coping with aging, and then write about such trivial changes in the form of a book shows how obsessive we've made our women with their age and the loss of beauty. This obsession has throttled a new lexicon for women. "Quilting patterns" and "vampire dinner lips" are now more than just descriptive phrases but actual definitions to describe different wrinkles on a woman's face. (If you must know the meaning: when wrinkles start to form a horizontal pattern as well as a vertical one; and lines around lips in which lipstick seeps after dinner.) Compare what Dolgoff writes with what Warren Adler said about aging and one can't help but notice what the real meaning of "getting old" is. Instead of celebrating human life and the experiences and perspective one gets from living, we today are obsessed with stopping time -- at 17. The media, advertisement campaigns and the cosmetic companies feed on and perpetuate this obsession. While aware of this massive phenomenon which doesn't seem likely to fade any time soon, the most obvious question one is left with is: will this obsession with trying to be someone else ever end? The only answer the cynic in me can give is: it will end when the beauty industry successfully stops the aging process, when science isolates genes which control all the physical features of a child and when parents have complete control to change the looks of their babies according to the predefined mould. When everyone will start looking the same way, that is when the obsession with having a "different" physical look will start. Don't forget we are but human. To strive and never be content is what defines us.
*Farida Hasan's special Eid collection of chiffons and cotton suits at 33-C Main Gulberg behind McDonald near park on Wed, Aug 25 from 1:00pm to 10:00pm. Each piece is unique and beautiful. Ph: 0300-8859983, 0300-9499559.
*Fashion Show for flood relief Sunday at Royal Palm and Country Club from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
*An exhibiton at Alhamra Art Gallery, The Mall on Aug 23.
*AFC C-Certificate Football Course till Tue, Aug 31
*Jazz Night at Peerus Cafe every Sarturday at 9:00 pm.
*Two plays at Alhamra, The Mall, Hall #2 featuring Irfan Khoosat and Abid Kashmiri. The plays start at 10:30pm.
*Movie: Salt at Cinestar cinema on Thursday at 9:45pm
Time to rescue snakes You may not know but Rescue 1122 is only a phone call away in case you spot a snake in the house By Arshad Shafiq Nizami Summer and rainy season sees an increase in snakebite
incidents. Not many people know that the Lahore Emergency Service (Rescue
1122), with the start of summer and particularly after monsoon, begins
receiving emergency calls for help against snakes and other reptiles which
come out of their hiding places after winter hibernation in search of food. Atif Ali of Kashmiri Bazaar while talking to TNS recalls an incident when he caught sight of a snake in his house. He said he cried in fear and called other members of the house, who tried to kill the snake which went into a hole. "We phoned Rescue 1122 and they reached the spot in half-an-hour. After a hectic search of one hour, they managed to catch the snake. They took the six foot long brown-black snake with them." According to the data available with Rescue 1122, in six months of the current year, 13 snake emergency calls were received by the service and six snakes were caught while seven managed to escape. The localities where the snakes were captured are EFU building, Jail Road, Kashmiri Bazaar, Rang Mahal (shop), Azam Market Chowk (house), PCSIR Colony (house), Stop-25 Shahdra (house) and 14-22-A, Chobacha Phatak (house). Talking to TNS, Rescue 1122 official Adeel Javaid said in 2009, 23 snakes were captured from different localities of the city and most of them were handed over to the Lahore Zoo. Javaid said the premises where a snake was spotted by a complainant was not cleared of danger until it was captured or killed. "The Rescue's snake-capturing team is comprised of trained people who got training from foreign qualified expert and volunteer Adil Siddiqui. The rescue team does its level best not to kill a snake during the rescue operation and most of the time it succeeds in its efforts and manages to catch the snakes alive, which are later handed over to the Lahore Zoo." He said few people knew the Rescue 1122 responded to snake emergency calls. "They must contact with the service team in case of spotting a snake and avoid killing it as all snakes are not poisonous." Adil Siddiqui, the volunteer referred to by the Rescue team, was trained to be a zoologist from South Africa. "Pakistan is ranked the second in the world for its highest deforestation rate as a result of which land for wild animals and reptiles is going shorter, forcing them to enter human localities which, in fact, belong to them. But human beings are not ready to accept them and are ready to kill them," he says while talking to TNS. "When I came to know that Rescue 1122 hands over snakes to the Lahore Zoo after catching them from different localities of the city, I stopped them as the zoo employees sell out them to snake charmers, who severe their fangs and venom glands which causes their death in 60 to 70 days," Siddiqui said. Instead, Siddiqui collects these snakes from the rescue office and leaves them in remote areas of the city. He has set up a small lab on self-help basis where he is doing research for snake conservation. "Wildlife officials let snake charmers catch snakes from forests as they think snakes are enemies of human beings. In reality, snakes are helpful for a balanced ecosystem." Adil Siddiqui said there are a very few snakes who have venom. "But people must have knowledge to identify them. For this purpose, seminars, debates and demonstrations must be held in villages, schools and colleges." When contacted, Medical Superintendent Services Hospital Dr Muhammad Javaid said the hospital emergency ward had anti-venom and other facilities to tackle snakebite victims, but "the hospital had not so far received such cases." nizami_shafiq@hotmail.com
Muhammad Arshad Khan captures the splendour of the Walled City through his lens By Altaf Husain Asad Forty-five year old Muhammad Arshad Khan is a true son of the Walled City. He roams the lanes of the City in sweltering heat and in thick fog -- and is always ready to capture the many faces of old Lahore through his lens. Though he works as a senior assistant in a bank,
photography is his real passion. He learnt the basics of this delicate art
from Syed Faisal Bukhari, a well-known film director and cameraman, and honed
his talent over the years through sheer hard work. His love with camera started way back in 1989 when he was a student. "Destruction of so many old and historical buildings perturbed me. It then became my aim to compile a pictorial book of the places which were vulnerable to rabid commercialisation," recalls Khan. Khan was born and raised in Mori Gate which proved to be of great advantage to him -- "I knew old lanes like the back of my hand. Life was quite tough for me as I had to provide for my family too. So, the plan to compile the book kept on pending." Finally in December 2008, he realised enough was enough. "Then on, I roamed the entire Walled City like a man possessed," Arshad Khan states passionately. In nearly two years, he captured all the treasures hidden
inside the Walled City -- all with his own limited resources. "I was
helped by many people of the Walled City of Lahore when they found out about
my plan. I was fortunate to have friends who encouraged me. My friend Idawaty
Kusumastuty, who lives in Jakarta, supported me till the end in particular.
My family was supportive too." Khan thinks the old city is under great threat. "Yakki Gate and Sheranwala Gate are completely encroached upon by commercialisation. Mochi Darwaza is relatively safe from the onslaught of commercialisation as the residents are educated and strive to preserve the old structures. Haveli Wajid Ali Shah, Nisar Haveli and other buildings in Mochi Darwaza are still very attractive," he says. "You know, people don't value historic art and architecture. I saw people keeping themselves warm in winter by burning precious wooden doors and windows that were once part of old buildings". He intends to hold exhibitions across Pakistan to create awareness to save our glorious past. At a later stage, he plans to compile a separate book on Masjid Wazir Khan.
The worst misperception is that a customer believes that these sets are exact copy of original mobile phones By Waris Ali Everybody knows that there are China-made cellphone sets rampantly available in the market and also that they are very low-priced, attractive in appearance and offer some exclusive features too. But very few customers know what is in the bottom hidden
from even some high-tech conscious people. A China-made mobile phone set is
an incomplete gadget, especially in terms of its software. Some vendors often claim that the low-priced China mobile phone sets below Rs 4000 are not reliable, but those of higher prices are credible. Quite wrong! All China mobile phone sets are unreliable, in one way or another. For example, a Chinese company CAT copied the Nokia N96 slider giving it a new name N96i, with certain variations, top among them is a touch screen smart cellphone set, not a slider. A friend Sheraz, who bought this China set in February this year for Rs 5800, explained to The News on Sunday that the cellphone set attracts everybody because of its luxuriant look, but has an incomplete software. For example, it has the option of shortcuts, but they do not work. The speaker icon displayed on the home screen for alarm settings has been used for shortcuts in the main menu. Sheraz said the phone display and animations are also low-graded; when a change is done, animation of a vase is displayed in which two leaves sprout. Further, when an audio file is played, there is the image of a man in black three-piece suit who continues dancing, the most ridiculous feature of the touch screen mobile cellphone. "Its hardware is also substandard. Its processor is very slow," he further complains, explaining that changes in settings, deleting and saving etc are very slow. Hence the image taking, saving, browsing, video recording and playing are ridiculously slow. 'The manual given beside the cellphone set is also incomplete; it explains only half of the functions of the set, a clear indication that the functions which have not been explained do not work." The worst misperception: The general impression a customer receives from the China-mobile phone sellers is that these sets are an exact copy of the original mobile, which is absolutely wrong. Certain features expose a China-made cellphone set at the very first glimpse, but the customer fails to detect this element. A week ago, a cousin of mine, Zaigham, dared to visit Arif Center, Hall Road, to buy a Chinese cellphone set. It was a copy of Nokia N97 which lured his attention. Oh! What a marvelous improvement has been made in the graphics; pop-up menus, full functional touch screen apparently much similar to the original set. The vendor was selling just for Rs 6500, the copy of an original N97 whose price is more than Rs 95,000. What is this? Such hard keypad, weak sliding lever and very poor resolution and graphics visibility, and some key features of the original set are also absolutely absent. "A shame to call it a copy of N97," said Zaigham. In fact, my cousin could detect its flaws because he had used the original N97. Can other customers find out the truth? No, never. Why is their market still booming? The question remains to be answered. "Why the market of Chinese cellphone sets still attracts so many customers?" The top factor is their low prices, followed by the factor that these sets are always a step ahead in technology. Chinese sets offered dual SIM phenomenon when it was just a dream, then touch screen sets when they were a status symbol and now its TV feature, found in no other cellphone set in the market. The Chinese cellphone sets hit the market some five years back, more because of their luxurious looks and low prices, and have since then established their goodwill. "Certain young people who wish a touch screen mobile, a 240x320 screen or a dual-SIM set, opt for a China mobile phone set, which is at least four times cheaper than an original set," an Arif Center vendor explained. "Whatever the position, China-mobiles are a hot market item. They have no resale value but bring us good profit," he replied when asked why their market is still flourishing. Another vendor confided in The News on Sunday that he switched over to the China mobile phones business because a Chinese set easily sells at three times more than what it costs the vendor. All Chinese sets are low-graded, unreliable and not worth a warranty, he bluntly said.
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