Suicide aur Sushant!

No more deceptions, no more retreats, no more betrayals, no more disappointments, no more bullying, no more rejections, no more ostracizing, no more failures, no more loses, no more weaknesses, no more pain.

The revelation of an ode, from a depressed mind is just a slight glimpse.
The world have lost Sushant Singh Rajput, who finished his life by the painful act of suicide. The 34 years old, actor and entertainer, was among the top A-listers of his age and industry. Yet, it came as a shock, as to why he would take such extreme step. Everyone wants to know. Why? From Kangana Ranaut to Arnab Goswami, even Saba Qamar and Mubashir Lucman, had their two cents on the on the incident. We have witnessed, of what started as a call to raise awareness campaign on topic of depression, turning into, a sh*tstorm of a campaign against nepotism and the dark turn of all kinds of opportunism. From posting by celebrities excluded by industry, raging and prophesizing, about nepotism and implying its repercussion, respectively. 
In reality, none of your thoughts or your take on the issue matters to the departed soul. The best anyone could have done was, not to embroil his name to achieve their ulterior motive and be kind to his family. But most of all, stop scolding him for his extreme step. Whereas, on the other side, if he wished anyone to be incriminated for his extreme step, one would have found something in a note or a post.
I am a fan of Sushant Singh Rajput, since, I watched Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, and uptil now have watched 7 of his movies. However, it was, when I watched Chhichhore, was when, I am completely won over. After Shahrukh Khan, he was the most admirable actor for me, moving every other actor aside. Why? Well it was the expressions, the smile, the insightful roles he played and most of all that niceness and humbleness of his persona which he carried through his roles that felt so much relatable. When I heard the news of his death, I could not wrap my head around it. It was absolutely unreal. Then the news started coming in and followed by background stories. That’s when I got to know that Sushant lost his mother earlier in his life and I read the poetry he wrote for her. I was speechless. I felt some of his pain. I was silenced. For me, Sushant Singh Rajput, deserved his right to life and deserve his right to peace after death. Rest in peace Sushant.
You cannot bring him back, and nothing can be done. The moment in which you are alive, there will be hope, there will be light. Once, the hearts stops beating and the lungs stop breathing, the light goes out of your eyes, some will have a smile and some will a have distress on their face. Sushant deserves your respect.

I wish to share a few lines I wrote, dedicated to him:

The battle unheard on the high seas.
The last sail, against even the low tide.
Sinking under the twilight to a place no one will find.
Pity from the shore, returns to the next sailor.

The tendency of our social media to take a tragic event and turn it into a hatefest against some other part of the society and propagating negativity, is so common. It’s ubiquitous, you see trolls hitting at other actors label as fraternity of nepotism and debating who deserves and who does not. Well, seeing after the future of your children is integrated in our Asian society, and parents who reach some point in their lives, will always, protect their children. Politics, grouping and lobbying, is a common place in our corporate structure. Climbing up the ladder on your own is not simple at all, it’s complicated and gruelling upon one’s soul.

If someone wants to help the depressed, then, they should start with not telling them that their suicide will leave people in pain behind them or with time everything is going to be fine. Fact is, with the growing numbers and untested population, Depression 2020 might just be the other COVID 19, that’s silently creeping into our society and lurking around like an invisible monster. So, just listen to the person next to you, hear them out, and be kind, because, it’s not some kind of a weakness to ‘catch’ depression, which is everywhere…….. but yes, it can happen to anyone, you, me or anyone we see…

P.s. aur dosto apna tou kuch aisa hai, dard jab haad say guzar jaata hai, tou hum likh letay hai… 

Clinical Pharmacist aur chirag dekhana!

Mana humari maadari zabaan urdu hai, par exam kay paper say lay kar visa apply karnay tak, har jaga angrazi hi istamal hoti hai... tou bahi angraiz nahi hai, bus angraizi istamal kar rahay hai....

The follow piece is especially written for my pharmacist brothers and sisters. Rest of you can just enjoy the ride and in best case scenario, be an inspired Pakistani.

More than a decade ago, when I enrolled in pharmacy program, least did I know what will my future be like. For most part, the goal was to keep up, in the line of study and further education, aka, degree after degree. The reason being that in the land of the pure, the more degrees you have, is considered proportional to the security of your future and development of your career. As most of us students land into pharmacy after spilling over from the cup of MBBS, most of us are just hungover the dreams of becoming doctor, in some capacity.

Down the road, I came across the option of landing in Healthcare, more specifically hospital based, clinical pharmacy. At the time of my graduation, a career in clinical pharmacy, was supposedly and ironically, not in the hospital, where all the action was suppose to be but in academics, which would rather involve me having a masters and then a PhD degree, in clinical pharmacy, and succeeding in getting a post for lecturer at some university. So, one would end up teaching something you don’t have in practice. Though, if one were enthusiastic, you be starting from the scratch, and unfortunately, against all odds. Luckily, now, as you read this piece, realities have changed for good, a number of hospitals across the country have clinical pharmacy departments in them.

To the layman, a clinical pharmacist is someone who helps in resolving issues in patient therapy, such as dose adjustment, drug interactions, adverse effects of drugs, etc., and is an active member of the medical team looking after the patient. As for you, the pharmacist fraternity…. ahem! Clinical pharmacist!? Naam tou suna hoga! Ab suraj ko kiya chirag dekhana…

America has been a major influence, in the making of our perception, of what a clinical pharmacist is. And when we think about it, I wish to direct your attention to the part many of us, especially me, were not aware about, regarding the clinical pharmacy. In America, ever since, the development of clinical pharmacy, the focus had been towards enhancing the role and capacity of the pharmacist. In name of developing advance patient care, in 1976, a body was formed by American Pharmaceutical Association, Board of Pharmacy Specialties, which tested the skills of clinical pharmacists and hence, helped in differentiating the cream in the field, from the rest. Therefore, giving them credibility and confidence.
In matter of facts, as of today, board specialties are offered in, Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Cardiology Pharmacy, Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy, Critical Care Pharmacy, Geriatric Pharmacy, Infectious Diseases Pharmacy, Nuclear Pharmacy, Nutrition Support Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Pediatric Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapy, Psychiatric Pharmacy and Solid Organ Transplantation Pharmacy. Up till 2019 there are 46000 board certified pharmacist across the world. The interesting bit that I like to share is that there are 3 incredible pharmacists, who have 5 board specialties credentials individially (which are the highest recorded up till now) are, Elsayed Murad Younis, Donald E. Shamblin II and Moh'Dnour Mahmoud Bani Younes. When we want to talk about Pakistan, yes! The land of the pure too have its share of board certified Pharmacists. Amjad Khan, a gulf based Pakistani has passed 3 board specialties. While many other Pakistanis who have passed board exam are mainly settled in Gulf or America. Currently, Pakistan has 11 board specialty-credentials-holding-qualified-clinical-pharmacists working in country, 7 in Pharmacotherapy, 1 each in, Infectious diseases, Geriatric Pharmacy, Nutrition Support Pharmacy, and Oncology Pharmacy. The current Board Specialty qualified clinical pharmacists include, Awaisullah Babar, Ghulam Mujtaba, Gul Ambreen, Muhammad Rehan Khan, Nida Ayoub, Saba Mazhar, Sidrah Andleeb, Shahzad Akram and Zafar Iqbal. Well do you know, what the best part is, patriotically speaking, India has no Board Specialty qualified pharmacist. So…
Pakistan: 11, India: 0
Pakistan’s achievement does not end here, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital and Research Centre is now running the only, American Society of Health-system Pharmacist (ASHP)’s accredited, International Pharmacy Practice Residency(IPPR) program in Asia, under the leadership of Mr. Omar Akhlaq Bhutta, Associate Director Pharmacy. This is a structured training program that trains resident pharmacist in-line with the PGY – 1 program(run in America under ASHP), in accordance with the needs of the healthcare system in JCI-accredited hospital in Pakistan. Metaphorically speaking, this seems like a spark that is going to set fire to the rain, as such high quality structure training program, in future, will be run at more number of hospitals in the country. As a result, we will witness high quality clinical pharmacy departments across Pakistan.
So if you are a Pharmacy student thinking about future and career, or a hospital pharmacist in pursuit of better prospects and a great learning opportunity…. Plan your Board!
You can attempt your board exam in Pakistan and gain the credentials. Each board exam has its own requirements. For instance in case of Pharmacotherapy exam (BCPS), if you have completed 1 year IPPR at SKMCH&RC or you have 3 years of pharmacotherapy based clinical experience in Pakistan, you are eligible. The exam costs around $600 and it’s taken biannually.

So, what are you waiting for, Pakistan ka naam roshan karo!! Your country needs you.

p.s. wo yaad hai na 3 idiots ki line… Baba ranchoddas sahi kehte the... Baccha kabil bano kabil.. Kamyabi to sali jhak maar ke peeche ayegi

Corona COVID 19 aur Qalandar vaccine!

Yar contagion film dekhi hai?

Yes, people, we are living in the times of corona virus. What we have witnessed in the last 6 months, is nothing short of a sci-fi thriller. The whole world is affected by this highly contagious virus, that is spreading like wild fire. It becomes the leading cause of deaths in many corners of the world. The government is trying to control its spread and the spread of panic. Fake news and conspiracy theorists take the lime light. The fabric of society starts to tear apart. Economy crumble under its own weight. The masses begin to look for a messiah who can put an end to their ordeal, a.k.a. the vaccine. 

If you scroll down the news feed of your social media handle, you will read about, either the corona stories or corona tragedies. Many of you in last few months would have had worldometers with your breakfast to see where is the COVID 19 death toll is headed. Sticking to statistics from United States to COVID 19 India lockdown. Listening to science, begging to you to stay home and self-isolate, with international agency like WHO and local institutes like Robert Koch Institute, briefing about the telly. Every time, you only wished to see the falling numbers on this pandemic.  So, whether it was raised from Wuhan or John Hopkins, your salvation will only be the vaccine.

Lahore ended its last good memory with the Pakistan super league(PSL) where Lahore Qalandars cricket team, for the first time seemed to get to the finals. Unfortunately, Lahore did rise to the peak, 3 months down the road, but it was in the numbers of corona patients. About 1.5 to 20 million people are estimated to be infected with corona virus in Lahore, which means 1 to 5 in 5 people in this metropolitan city. 9th class result of BISE students and end of ramazan eid shopping, both had high emotions. Matric and metrics of economy, what a combination. 

The worst picture does not end here, the panic for shortage of treatment has resulted in shortage of Azithromycin, Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermetin, Actrema (banned for local sale) as well as price hike of herbal remedies, like senna makki, and the demand of corona survivor plasma upto 0.5 million rupees, and that’s a donation. Whereas, you can’t find oxygen cylinders or even oximeters (costing upto 10k).

The movie is reaching its climax…. But one thing is for sure:

The world will be changed after this pandemic. 

p.s.

Ghabrana nahi hai, picture abhi baki hai meray dost!