ڈیجیٹل بچے
محمد علی صدیقی
"انٹرنیٹ اور موبائیل نے نوجوان نسل کو کہاں پہنچا دیا ہے سمجھ میں نہیں آتا۔ آنے والا کل نہ جانے کیسا ہو۔!!۔" مینیجنگ کمیٹی کے صدر نے فکرمند لہجے میں کہا۔
"اتنی مایوسی ٹھیک نہی" میں نے کہا۔
میں کچھ اور بھی کہنے والا تھا کہ ایک ٹیچر درجہ چہارم کی ایک بچی کو لے کر آفس میں داخل ہوئیں اور بولیں
"سر یہ آپ سے کچھ کہنا چاہتی ہے۔"
"ہاں۔ کہو" میں نے ان کی طرف متوجہ ہوتے ہوئے کہا۔
"سر۔۔۔ کلاس میں ایک لڑکا مجھے بھابھی بلاتا ہے۔"
وہ اپنی مسکراہٹ چھپانے کی ناکام کوشش کر رہی تھی۔ مجھے کچھ عجیب سا لگا۔ میں نے اس بچے کو بلا کر وارننگ دی اور ٹیچر سے کہا
"آپ لوگ یہ شکایتیں خود ہی سن لیا کریں۔ آفس میں نہ لایا کریں۔"
"ہم تو سنتے ہی رہتے ہیں سر۔ میں نے سوچا کہ آج آپ بھی سن لیں" ٹیچر نے تھکے ہوئے لہجے میں کہا، " کل کے۔جی کا ایک بچہ اپنے ساتھ بیٹھی بچی سے پوچھ رہا تھا کہ کیا وہ اس سے پیار کرتی ہے۔ بچی کی شکایت پر میں نے ان دونوں کو الگ الگ بٹھا دیا لیکن کچھ ہی دیر بعد دونوں پھر ایک ساتھ بیٹھے باتیں کرتے نظر آئے۔"
میں نے ٹیچر کو جانے کا اشارہ کیا اور صدر کی طرف دیکھا۔ ان کے چہرے پر ایک معنی خیز مسکراہٹ کھیل رہی تھی۔
The financing operations of conventional microfinance institutions are usually based on interest (Usury/Riba) which is strictly prohibited by the Shariah of Islam, therefore, some Islamic microfinance institutions were set up in Pakistan to provide micro credit and other financial help to the deserving people based on Shariah compliant mechanism. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and compare the social and financial performance of these microfinance institutions in Pakistan. Two separate samples containing two microfinance institutions each, representing conventional and Islamic microfinance institutions has been selected for this study. Four stars, Wasil Foundation and Akhuwat from Islamic microfinance institutions while Asasah and Community Support Concern (CSC) from conventional microfinance institutions, rated by Mix market have been selected for this research paper. The social and financial performance based on outreach, profitability, efficiency/productivity, and portfolio quality of both these microfinance institutions were studied and compared. The study revealed that Islamic MFIs were more cost effective compared to conventional MFIs based on cost per borrower (CPB) and operating expenses to assets (OEA), while on the basis of financial efficiency conventional MFIs performed well. Though the financial and social performance of both Islamic and conventional MFIs have improved over the passage of time, still they have to struggle hard on various fronts especially to improve their profitability based on ROA and ROE measures to make the institutions profitable and sustainable. This study reveals that the successful operation of Akhuwat and Wasil Foundation for the last more than a decade latterly proves that Islamic MFIs are viable and sustainable even in the absence of charging interest from their clients. So, the society and the government should encourage and promote these Shariah compliant organizations in order to help the extremely marginalized people of the society.
Background: Hypotonic fluids are widely used in pediatrics and are the standard of care when giving maintenance fluids. However, there are several reports of risk of iatrogenic hyponatremia attributed to this practice in the literature. There is therefore uncertainty as to whether isotonic fluids would be the more appropriate fluid. Objectives: The primary objective was to compare effects of hypotonic and isotonic maintenance fluids on plasma sodium levels in children between the ages of 2 months and 15 years admitted at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). The secondary objective was to compare effects of hypotonic and isotonic maintenance fluids on other plasma electrolytes and need for additional fluid boluses in the same population of patients. Study design: Double blind randomized controlled trial of isotonic vs hypotonic maintenance intravenous fluids in children. Methods: One hundred and fifty two children with serum sodium levels between 130-150 mEq/L who required intravenous maintenance fluids were randomized to receive either 0.9% dextrose normal saline or hypotonic maintenance fluids as per normal practice. Hypotonic solution which was used in the control group, had sodium concentration between 20 and 100 mEq/L corresponding to 4mEq/Kg/24hr. Children aged between 2 months and 15 years requiring hospitalization at AKUH were eligible only when their physician prescribed intravenous maintenance fluid therapy. Patients with chronic or acute kidney failure/disease, at risk of cerebral edema (diabetic ketoacidosis or cranio- encephalic trauma), neonates (age <2month >old), sickle cell, with plasma sodium levels at hospital admission <130mEq/L or >150mEq/L, and/or cerebral malaria or severe malnutrition ( Z score <-3) and who refused to consent were excluded. Children were clinically monitored as per standard protocol. Blood electrolytes were obtained before commencement of v infusions to determine those eligible for inclusion and repeated after 24 hours or when fluids were stopped whichever was earlier. Any undesirable side effects were documented and managed as per standard practice. Primary outcome: Proportion of children with hyponatremia at 24hours after administration of maintenance fluids. Results: A total of 152 subjects were enrolled after obtaining informed consent. Of these, 78 and 74 were randomized to isotonic and hypotonic groups respectively. Overall, 25 (16.4%) patients dropped out of the study for various reasons. Hyponatremia occurred in 16.4% of the patients at 24 hours and a higher proportion of patients (23%) in the hypotonic group experienced hyponatremia compared to the isotonic group (10.3%) that was statistically significant (p = 0.03). The relative risk of