The picture above is a reproduction of "Boats on the Indus" (circa 1840) by British illustrator, Thomas Postans. It features the mighty River Indus which originates in Tibet, flows through Ladakh, India before passing through Pakistani regions including Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhthunkhua, Punjab and Sindh, where it finally merges with the Indian Ocean. It was around the River Indus (historically known as Hindu or Sindhu) where one of the oldest civilizations in the world emerged.
Foreword by Sualeha Shekhani*
Every wave for Sohni is filled with rubies, water perfumed with musk,
From river come many airs of ambergris
Shah Abdul Latif (1689-1752)
The couplet (translated from Sindhi) above makes a reference to the Sindhi folk tragedy of Sohni Mahiwal, two lovers separated by the River Indus. It is around this River where ‘people, ideas and religions meet and mingle,’ as Alice Albinia writes in her part-memoir part-travelogue, “Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River.” The Indus is not only a geographical entity—it represents the historical and cultural evolution of South Asia, dating as far back as 3300 BCE. It was around the River Indus where religious scriptures such as the Rig Veda were composed, and vibrant folk traditions with songs and dances were produced. Civilizations and empires rose and fell in tandem with the river’s ebb and flow. Artists, novelists, poets, Sufi saints and scholars such as Bulleh Shah, Allama Iqbal, Ismat Chughati and Saadat Hasan Manto produced extraordinary works, highlighting the socio-political values and traditions of their times.
This edition of Bioethics Links provides a small glimpse in the continuation of this tradition. Priya Sharma, an emerging scholar in the field of philosophy and social sciences from India reflects upon the relational nature of providing care in the subcontinent context as the essence of life itself. Harris Khalique, a renowned literary figure from Pakistan explores how Urdu literature connects with, and influences, the moral self. The newsletter also highlights how CBEC uses its video series, “Local Moral Worlds,” as a spotlight to capture the richness of local norms and values that shape human moral sensibilities. This edition offers fresh perspectives from this part of the world, connecting the past with the present and the future.
*Assistant Professor, CBEC-SIUT, Karachi
CARING: THE BASIS OF OUR LIVES
Priya Sharma
It takes a village to raise a child. This African proverb was quite true when it came to my childhood. Growing up in a remote Indian village on the lower foothills of the Himalayas,
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD…
Harris Khalique
In art and literature, the global canons including our own embrace creatively written theological essays and summaries, faith-based parables, hymns and devotional poetry,
LOCAL MORAL WORLDS”: CBEC TEACHING VIDEOS WITH A DESI SPIN
Sualeha Shekhani
Arthur Kleinman, the renowned US-based psychiatrist and medical anthropologist coined the phrase “local moral worlds” to highlight how individuals experience the everyday,
SIUT INTEGRATES BIOETHICS IN THE UROLOGY CURRICULA
Asad Shahzad
In 2020, I was given the task of organizing the residency program of Urology at SIUT. Two postgraduate programs run concurrently at SIUT, one under the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSP)
RICHARD CASH (1941-2024)
A MEMORIAM: OUR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE
Aamir Jafarey
Dr. Richard Cash touched and will continue to touch millions of lives globally following his death. As one of the developers of Oral Rehydration Therapy, his contributions to public health cannot be forgotten.
CBEC-KEMRI BIOETHICS TRAINING INITIATIVE (CK-BTI) ACTIVITIES
The Bioethics Pedagogy workshops, under the CK-BTI program, were initiated in December 2021. While three such workshops have been conducted in Pakistan,
ENHANCING BIOETHICS CAPACITY IN QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN
At the invitation of Dr. Rukhsana Majid, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, Quetta Institue of Medical Sciences (QIMS), CBEC faculty Dr. Farhat Moazam, Dr. Aamir Jafarey and Dr. Bushra Shirazi conducted a workshop titled “Introduction to Ethics in Health- care and Research.”
CBEC VIDEO WINS AWARD IN BARCELONA
The newest addition to the Local Moral Worlds series titled, “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” focuses on issues of medical decision-making for unconscious patients.
CBEC-WHO COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS ON PATIENT SAFETY
At the request of the Department of Quality Assurance at SIUT, CBEC in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) organized workshops to celebrate Patient Safety Day that falls on September 17.
From our Archives
What does History have to do with Ethics?
Taymiya R.Zaman
When most people think about the word “history,” they think history refers to “things that happened in the past.” But to historians, History with a capital H is a discipline that teaches you how to think about the past.”
CBEC Events
CBEC Forum: Ghalib and His Simple Verses
November 16, 2024
This Forum discussed the literary brilliance of Mirza Ghalib. The session was led by literary enthusiast Dr. Rubina Naqvi, Professor of Nephrology at SIUT Karachi and a CBEC alumnus. The discussion focused on his seemingly simple and straightforward verses, and explored the complexities packed within them including philosophical layers, metaphors and literary irony. The speaker engaged the partici- pants in discerning the meanings of selected verses.
CBEC Participates in Annual PSN Conference, Aga Khan University
November 7-10, 2024
At the invitation of Dr. Shahzad Shamim, Professor of Neurosurgery at the Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University (AKU), CBEC participated in the Pakistan Society of Neuro- surgery’s 37th National Conference. Dr. Moazam (picture on the right) gave the IA Raja Memorial Lecture titled, “Reflections: Science, Knowledge and the Surgeon Scientist.” She discussed the error in reducing the meaning of the word “science” to merely the technical, measurable in medicine. Dr. Aamir, Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir and Ms. Sualeha Shekhani conducted a workshop on publication ethics with surgical residents. They focused on local authorship issues and global disparities in scientific publications.
Workshop: Ethical Challenges Involving Critical Care of Patients, Karachi
October 26, 2024
During SIUT’s Fundamentals of Critical Care Support Conference, CBEC conducted a workshop on ethical challenges in critical care at the invitation of Dr. Fakhir Raza Haidri, Associate Professor, Department of Critical Care, SIUT. Dr. Moazam and Dr. Bushra used cases to highlight end of life issues including informed consent and medical decision-making. Dr. Moazam also emphasized that medicine’s focus on the ‘disease’ often overlooks the broader context of illness.
Conference: Pak TraumaCon 2024 SMBB Trauma Centre, Karachi
September 20, 2024
During the 2nd Pak TraumaCon, Dr. Moazam and Dr. Bushra co-chaired a session titled, “The Impact of Trauma on Trauma Victims” at the invitation of Dr. Waryam Muhammad Saleh, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and key organizer of the conference. This session was unique since it included trauma survivors. One member of the public and two physicians shared their personal experiences and the devas- tating effects of accidents on their families.
Teaching the Teachers: CBEC Collaborates with Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Karachi
September 13-14, 2024
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has recently mandated the inclusion of bioethics education in all undergraduate curricula. Meeting this teaching requirement poses significant challenges since there are only two institutions in Karachi and one in Lahore that offer graduate level degree programs in bioethics in the country. However, acquiring basic knowledge in bioethics does not require a formal degree, and regular medical and dental faculty can be trained to teach bioethics at their institutions.
Dr Syed Moyn Aly, Director Academics of Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) approached CBEC with a proposal to provide basic bioethics education to their faculty. He proposed conducting two customized workshops for earmarked faculty from their 11 affiliate medical and dental colleges. These individuals would then be relied upon to conduct ethics education sessions at their respective institutions.
This is the first step in this collaborative effort with the aim to offer similar workshops for JSMU faculty annually in order to expand the cohort of bioethics-trained faculty with the capacity to teach basics of bioethics to medical and dental students.
CBEC Forum: Tiny Kidneys, Big Dilemmas
September 7, 2024
The Forum featured three pediatric nephrologists with an interest in bioethics: Dr. Ali Lanewala (SIUT, Pakistan), Dr. Aaron Wightman (University of Washington, USA), and Dr. Priya Pais (St. John’s Acade- my, Bangalore, India). They explored ethical challenges in pediatric nephrology through cases, highlighting how legal, cultural, and socio- economic factors complicate care in different contexts. The Forum attracted a diverse online audience from the USA, Europe and Africa.
CBEC Internship Program for high School Students
July 1-5, 2024
In the summer of 2024, CBEC launched an internship program for high school students to introduce them to facets of ethics in everyday life. The program received over a hundred applications reflecting a strong interest in ethics. Six students were eventually selected.
Organized by CBEC faculty members, Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir and Mr. Farid Bin Masood, the weeklong internship offered a flavor of common ethical issues. A notable feature was a social media advocacy project, where participants developed infographics and campaigns addressing medical issues such as the challenges of polio vaccination in Pakistan. The internship also featured a student debate on “Using Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing,” and a thought experiment involving selecting people for a lifeboat on a sinking ship. CBEC’s video, “The Sound of Silence,” was used to explore the gender nuances in obtaining
informed consent within the Pakistani context. Students found discussing Richard Selzer’s story, “Whither Thou Goest,” particularly interesting. The story explores interactions between a widow who donates her husband’s heart and the male recipient, focusing on the emotional impact of organ transplantation on donors and recipients.
Student feedback revealed an appreciation for the internship, with comments about “personal growth” in communication, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. Students also liked the “engaging” and “interactive” nature of the sessions.
CBEC Forum: Dilli Jo Ek Shehr Tha
Mughal Delhi’s Romance with her Urdu Poets
May 18, 2024
Dr. Saif Mahmood, author of "Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City & Her Greatest Poets," explored the rich history of Urdu poetry connected to Mughal Delhi. Audience, many online, heard works of poets like Sauda, Mir, Ghalib and Dagh, and “virtually” toured historic Delhi streets.
Methods and Ethics of Research
Khyber Medical University (KMU), Hazara,
May 13-15, 2024
As part of CK-BTI, a collaborative workshop with KMU was conducted to highlight ethical issues associated with health research. The picture shows participants engaged in a discussion with CBEC faculty includ ing Dr. Aamir Jafarey and Ms. Sualeha Shekhani.
Train the Trainers
Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi
May 2024
At the request of DUHS Vice-Chancellor, a course has been initiated to train DUHS medical faculty in teaching bioethics to medical students. The picture shows Dr. Farhat Moazam and Dr. Bushra Shirazi conduct ing a session on “Informed Consent.”
CBEC Shots
Impressions of PGD Alumni
In this series of short videos, recent graduates of the CBEC-SIUT Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) program in Bioethics share their personal journeys, insights, and reflections providing a glimpse into their experiences, challenges, and growth during the one-year program.
Atif Mahmood
Asif Jan Muhammad
Abubaker Ali Saad
Saima Saleem
Muhammad Arsalan Khan
Journal Club
Discussing two poems by
Harris Khalique
Nida Wahid Bashir
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