The Impact of Changes in Exchange Rate on Prices: A Case Study of Pakistan

Rapid changes in prices are of concern in almost all countries since the 1970s. However, the issue is of serious concern in developing countries where imported inflation is seen to be driving domestic inflation resulting in limited effectiveness of domestic policies to control inflation. Like most developing countries, in Pakistan also, the domestic price level started rising from the mid-1970s. The exchange rate started depreciating continuously from the early 1980s.1 Continuous devaluation of currency and inflation in the 1980s seems to suggest a correlation between the two variables. The empirical studies, like Rana and Dowling (1983) suggest that foreign inflation was the most significant factor in explaining changes in the domestic price level in nine Asian less developed countries during 1973–79. This suggests that, while, these countries could do little to control inflation, the policies of other countries, particularly their major trading partners, had a significant impact on their domestic prices. A simultaneous relationship between the inflation rate and the exchange rate changes is viewed by certain researchers to exist. [Cooper (1971) and Krugman and Taylor (1978).] In most of the developing countries flexibility of exchange rate is favoured on the ground that it depoliticises the problem of devaluation and creates less disruption in the economy. In the empirical literature, the exchange rate regimes are also linked to domestic prices, trade patterns and current account balance.

The Export Growth of Pakistan: A Decomposition Analysis

The Constant Market Share Analysis of export growth is used here to capture the world trade effect, the commodity composition effect, the market distribution effect and the competitiveness effect for the periods: 1984-85–1988-89 and 1988-89–1992-93. The results show that Pakistan has maintained her export share in the world market. The market distribution and competitiveness of Pakistani exports have improved significantly between the two periods under study. However, the concentration of Pakistani exports into traditional commodities, whose world demand remained sluggish, has offset the positive contribution of effective market distribution and improved competitive strengths to a large extent. A restructuring of exports (from traditional to non-traditional), an increase in the variety of exports, search for new fast growing markets and an improvement in the economic and political environment are suggested to enhance the export growth of Pakistan in future.

C. H. Hanumantha Rao and Hans Linnemann (eds). Economic Reforms and Poverty Alleviation in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1996. 271 pages. Hardbound, Indian Rs 350.00; paperback, Indian Rs 195.00.

The book under review is an edited collection of eight papers presented at a seminar on “Structural Adjustment and Poverty in India: Policy and Research Issues”, and is Volume 17 in the Indo-Dutch studies on Development Alternatives. The book evaluates the impact of economic reforms on poverty alleviation in India. In the “Introduction”, the editors describe the main theme of the book and propose some policy measures for poverty alleviation in the light of the findings of the papers included in the book. The paper, “Structural Adjustment in India—What about Poverty Alleviation?”, by Pieter A. van Stuijvenberg, evaluates the impact of India’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) on the poor and suggests some policy corrections to mitigate the adverse effects of this adjustment on the poor. He observes an improvement in the balance-of-payments position and foreign exchange reserves without a simultaneous fall in gross domestic product under the SAP. His major concerns are the large size and composition of fiscal deficits (dominated by revenue deficits). The large size of fiscal deficits, according to van Stuijvenberg, drive up real interest rates and endanger investment-led growth. He observes that social indicators of the social safety net, employment, and rural development programmes have not improved much due to expenditure cuts on rural infrastructural investments. He suggests a reduction in the size and composition of the public sector, elimination of all explicit and implicit subsidies, and discouraging rent-seeking behaviour for a successful implementation of economic reforms

Hyponatraemia: etiology, management and outcome

OBJECTIVE: To determine the etiology of hyponatraemia, the treatment instituted and the outcome of treatment in a tertiary care hospital setting. STUDY DESIGN: Case series.PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between January and June 2004. METHODOLOGY: Case records of 220 patients admitted to the medical service were identified through computerized hospital patients\u27 data. All patients (3) 15 years with a sodium level on admission of (2) 130 mmol/litre were included. The records of those patients were reviewed for relevant demographic, clinical and laboratory data, in addition to the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of hospitalization. The data was analyzed through SPSS software version 11.0. RESULTS: Over a 6-month period, 220 patients were admitted with hyponatraemia (serum sodium (2) 130 mmol/L). Of those 127 females and 93 males, the mean age was 65 + 13.29 years. Neurological symptoms were the presenting feature in 25% patients. The mean serum sodium level on admission was 119.46 mmol/L. The rate of correction was \u3e10 mmol/L/ 24 hours in 17% patients. The average duration of stay was 4 days. The mortality was 6.8%. Medicines accounted for 30% cases of hyponatraemia, of which diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were top of the list. Other causes were gastrointestinal in 25%, chest infection in 11% patients, depletional hyponatraemia in 10% patients, SIADH (Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone) in 6% patients, congestive cardiac failure and malignancy in 5% each and chronic liver disease in 3.6% patients. CONCLUSION: Hyponatraemia was seen more commonly in the elderly, major causes being gastrointestinal losses and use of drugs. Serum sodium correction should be less than 10 mmol/L/24 hours. The treatment plan be directed to correction of the underlying cause. Diagnosis of SIADH should be sought with appropriate investigation

Failure to get Admissions in a Discipline of their own Choice: Voices of Dejected Students

Attaining a professional engineering degree is a dream of many pre-engineering intermediate students in Pakistan. Several students face scarcity of resources to accomplish and enliven their dreams of getting admission into an engineering institute, which results in great hardships and turmoil for them. The literature reveals that quantitative work in this area has been done to some extent, which restricts the comprehension of deeper understanding, profound feelings, perceptions, personal meanings, effects and experiences surrounding this dilemma at the time of rejection. This study has tried to ferret out the experiences of the students who could not get admission in the field of their own interest and went through the phase of uncertainty concerning their future. The research is grounded in the tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology as guided by Heidegger (1962), Gadamer (1960/2003), Casey (1993) and Levinas (1961/2004). By calling forth the philosophical and methodological tenets of this approach, the endeavor was to uncover the lived experiences of the students at the time of failure as well as how they felt about their future. A group of five students from the University of Karachi (Department of Statistics), who could not qualify in the Entrance test of a well renowned Engineering University in Karachi and later joined BS program in Actuarial Sciences, were interviewed for this research. The insights of the study reflect that lack of opportunities and failure result in a great set back for the students and harbor negative feelings in them towards education and its system. The study recommends the need to establish new public sector universities to fulfill the needs of the students to achieve their targets and simultaneously to groom them as an asset for the country

Prevalence and factors associated with irritable bowel syndrome among medical students of Karachi, Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its association with stress, has not been studied among university students in Pakistan. We investigated the prevalence and the pattern of anxiety related IBS symptoms among medical students of Karachi. FINDINGS: An observational case–control study was carried out at three medical colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. Random sampling was done on 360 medical students. Data was collected using validated tools “Rome III Criteria” and “Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire”. Participants with IBS were diagnosed on the criteria having experienced abdominal discomfort at least 2–3 days/month associated with high level of anxiety. The apparent prevalence of IBS was found to be 28.3%, with a predominance of 87 (85.29%) females (85.29%) over males (14.71%). The psychological symptoms of anxiety were encountered in 57 (55.8%) participants with IBS, among which males were 15.7% and females 84.2% respectively. CONCLUSION: Students who more frequently suffer with mental stress and anxiety are more associated with IBS

Harmonic scalpel versus electrocautery tonsillectomy: a comparative study in adult patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare harmonic scalpel (HS) tonsillectomy with electrocautery (EC) tonsillectomy in terms of operating time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative pain and secondary haemorrhage.METHODS: Sixty adult patients subjected to tonsillectomy only, were evaluated in this prospective study. The patients were stratified into 2 groups (30 each) based on the dissecting instrument used (HS vs. EC) at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi Pakistan from June, 2006 to August, 2008.RESULTS: The mean operative time was less in electrocautery group (EC 3.57 +/- 0.85 minutes Vs HS 4.20 +/- 1.37 minutes;