Conflict between paternalism and autonomy.

In the past, paternalism played an important role in making decisions at the end of life. However, in the modern era its significance has become unpopular as it require physicians to decide what is good or bad for the patient without considering patients wish and interest. This commentary article is based on a case study of a woman whose life was lost due to complications of pregnancy. The paper critically reviews this case study, and attempts to provide a reasonable and systematic framework to make sound decisions in similar cases

Risk factors of cardiovascular disease and its recommendations in Pakistani context.

Cardiovascular diseases possess a major cause for fatality and disability the world over. Since last several decades, the rates of cardiovascular diseases-related deaths have decreased in a number of high-income countries but increased in low- and middle-income countries with around 80% of the burden. Despite the seriousness of cardiovascular diseases in low- and middle-income countries, minimal attention is given to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases risk factors in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan. In addition, economic and political instability is accelerating the rates of cardiovascular diseases in the country. Practical efforts are required to enhance the understanding of cardiovascular diseases risk factors such as diet, physical activity, and tobacco-control policies to support prevention and control at the population level. This paper reviews the major modifiable risk factors in Pakistan, highlights available preventive services, and presents the most likely ways to promote risk-factor reduction

Development of Mentorship Module and its Feasibility for Community Midwives in Sindh, Pakistan: A Pilot Study

Numerous articles describe the concept of mentorship for providing professional support in midwifery settings in different countries; however, in Pakistan the concept is under developed. Before implementing the concept in the Pakistani context, it was important to first develop a mentorship module and pilot test the idea. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop and test a mentorship module to determine its feasibility for educating community midwives about providing mentoring, so that a formal mentorship program could be established in the future. The training aimed to provide skill focused mentorship training to experienced midwives, so that they could perform the role of mentors for newly graduate midwives, in order to support them and build their confidence. The mentorship module was developed with the help of literature review and experts’ suggestion. A structured questionnaire was given to 50 community midwives after they had been provided mentorship training. Community midwives from nineteen districts of Sindh, Pakistan, were surveyed through purposive sampling. All the community midwives agreed that there was a need for mentorship, that the training module was useful, and that they would be able to integrate it into their practice. Over 80% community midwives rated the content of the module as useful, the majority agreed that the total duration of the training (two days) and the length of each session in the training were appropriate. Similarly, all participants reported that the mentoring strategies were helpful. Hence, the mentorship training module was strongly perceived to be feasible and useful by the community midwives of Sindh, Pakistan

My philosophy of teaching and learning.

The journey of teaching and learning is continuous and lifelong. It is not only limited to what we learn in classroom settings but it is beyond that level. In this educational journey, teacher possesses a major role in building student’s personality. By knowing that each learner has different strengths with different learning needs, it is the responsibility of a teacher to facilitate student in gaining knowledge, skills, and critical thinking by implementing various innovative strategies. Moreover, the positive and conducive environment along with teachers support creates a good milieu for student’s lifelong learning. This paper addresses my teaching and learning philosophy under the perspective of student, teacher, learning environment, and teaching learning process