Making Infection Prevention & Control Smarter and User-friendly

The editorial provides information about an infection prevention and control mobile application and a corresponding website that has been developed by members of infection control committee of a tertiary care hospital. The features of the mobile app are discussed along with information shared in the form of guidelines that cover various aspects of infection control practices relevant for healthcare workers. The app can be used in different clinical settings in hospital areas by anyone who has an android or Apple phone. 

Adjustment Problems of Christian and Sikh Minorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The current study titled “Adjustment problems of Christian and Sikh minorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan” was carried out in Districts of Peshawar and Swat. The aim of the study was to identify the socio-economic problems faced by the targeted minorities in their religious, educational, socio-cultural and economic activities (independent variables) activities and its influence on their social interaction (dependent variable). Five level likert scale was used to measure these variables and chi-square test was applied for testing the association of the independent variables with the dependent variable. The bi-variate results show that social interaction had a significant association with minorities participate in Muslims rituals/festivals (P=0.028), religious rituals and festivals celebration of minorities are permissible and acceptable in Pakistan (P=0.000), restriction upon minority rituals and religious practices (P=0.021), freedom to minorities to construct religious building publicly (P=0.003), the worship places of minorities are fully secured in Pakistan (P=0.001) and security guards are required in the worship places of minorities (P=0.000). Moreover, social interaction had a highly significant association with minorities are allowed to participate in all the economic activities with Muslims (P=0.000), Muslims like the minorities participation in the economic activities (P=0.000), minorities’ participation in economic activities leads towards social interaction and adjustment (P=0.000), mutual economic and business transaction help build positive favourable relation with minorities (P=0.000), minorities have economic relationship with Muslims in Pakistani society (P=0.004), minorities participation in all economic activities are considered a positive sign by majority (P=0.000), difficulties in economic transaction and relation are confronted to minorities in Pakistan (P=0.000), minorities confronted miseries in the pursuing and searching of jobs (P=0.000), minorities’ financial crises as a big hurdle in the way of adjustment with majority (P=0.000), minorities in Pakistan are free to occupy any profession in their life (P=0.031), minorities utilization of available quota in getting jobs in Pakistan (P=0.001) and minorities are discriminated at their workplace (P=0.018). In addition, social interaction had a significant association with minorities should read in combined educational institutes (P=0.002), minority want combined educational institution in Pakistan (P=0.000), religious teachers of minorities are paid by the government of Pakistan (P=0.000), religious school for minorities children (P=0.000) and derogatory remarks in textbooks against them (P=0.000). likewise, social interaction had a highly significant association with the opinion that conjugal relationship occurred between minority and majority (P=0.000), Muslim cultural activities have positive impact on minority moods of life (P=0.000), minority have Muslims friend in Pakistan (P=0.000), separate food arrangement for the Muslims in festivals (P=0.000), discrimination is found in the social status on the basis of minority relationship (P=0.000), Muslims (majority) participate in death ceremony of minority in this country (P=0.000), Muslims attend the funeral of minorities (P=0.000), Muslims attends the condolence of minorities (P=0.000), minorities are invited in ceremonial activities of Muslims (P=0.000) and there are difficulties in the celebration of tradition and customs in minorities day to day life (P=0.000). Taking strict security measures to protect the minority group members at their prayer places, initiating trust building measures like sports activities, interfaith dialogues and respecting each others’ cultural taboos, overcoming structural and institutional barriers in employment and economic opportunities faced by deprived minority groups, involvement of religious, political leaders, government officials and role models in interfaith trust building programs and effective use of mass media for interfaith trust building were some of the policy recommendations in light of the study findings.