Quetta City Research Articles

Selection of an Appropriate Technology for Hospital Waste Management in Quetta City, Pakistan

Selection of an Appropriate Technology for Hospital Waste Management in Quetta City, Pakistan

Causes Behind Escalation of Juvenile Delinquency in Quetta City A Case Study of Juvenile Prisoners in Balochistan Province

Juvenile delinquency is a substantial issue both universally and nationally, mostly in Balochistan. This study objects to explore the causes backing to juvenile delinquency in Quetta city of Balochistan Province. The research was conducted at one of the Jail, located in Quetta city of Province of Balochistan. Data was collected through two rounds of interviews: one with juvenile offenders and another with legal professionals. Information on the juveniles’ age, education, socioeconomic background, family history, and employment status was gathered through structured questionnaires. The collected data was analyzed and compiled to identify the underlying causes of delinquency. The results revealed that juvenile delinquency in Quetta is driven by multiple factors, with poverty and illiteracy emerging as the most significant contributors. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the socio-economic challenges faced by at-risk youth in the region and gives a comprehensive approach that tackle systematic issues, support families and provide opportunities for youth.

Heavy metals accumulation in the meat, kidney and liver of cattle, broilers and goats sold in Quetta, northwestern city of Balochistan, Pakistan

ABSTRACT 1. It was assumed that the concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg) in the meat, kidney and liver of cattle, broilers and goats within Quetta city potentially exceeded the permissible limits for heavy metal content. Risk assessment of these heavy metals on human health were estimated based on daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). 2. Samples of the meat, liver and kidney of cattle, broilers and goats were collected from butcher shops and slaughterhouses in 20 different areas of Quetta city. Overall, 180 samples were analysed, each for six heavy metals. After acid digestion of meat samples, heavy metals analysis was carried out via atomic absorption spectroscopy. 3. The results varied in levels depending upon the species and organ type. The average concentrations of As, Pb and Hg were within the established reference limits of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA 2015) and the European Commission (EC, 2006), although some samples exceeded these limits. Compared with the kidney and meat, the liver was the primary tissue for Cr, Pb and Hg bioaccumulation. Metals concentration were mostly within the normal range in samples from cattle and goats, while the Mn concentration was elevated in broilers. 4. The estimated daily intake (EDI) revealed that the intake of As, Co, Pb and Hg was mainly derived from goat and cattle products, whereas broiler samples were more contaminated with Cr and Mn. The EDIs of Cr and Hg in adults exceeded the oral reference dose, referring to potential adverse effects. The EDIs for Co and Mn were low, suggesting that additional intake sources were necessary. Except for As, none of the determined elements had a target hazard quotient (THQ) above 1.

Assessing the Impact and Coping Measures of Urban Flash Floods in Quetta during Monsoon 2022

The research study was carried out to assess the impact and coping measures of flash floods in Quetta City during Monsoon 2022. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative research method was used as part of “After-Only” research design. Primary data sources included survey of the affected areas in Quetta City and interviews of officials from various departments. Secondary data sources involved records from relevant departments, newspapers, journals and internet. Random sampling technique was adopted during the survey and thematic analysis of total sample size of 390 was carried out. .The findings have revealed that unchecked urbanization and construction in waterways amplified the damaged caused by flash floods in Quetta in 2022. The empirical evidences and survey conducted of affected areas pointed out lack of implementation of available regulatory measures. In order to mitigate the effect of any future flash flood, existing regulatory mechanism in required to be implemented in true letter and spirit which should include reclaiming of encroached waterways, planning for rehabilitation of affected households to suitable location and detailed urban planning to cater for expansion of Quetta City.

Assessing Risk Perception about COVID-19 in Quetta City, Balochistan

Assessing Risk Perception about COVID-19 in Quetta City, Balochistan

Source, distribution patterns and resources potential of selenium in soil of north Pakistan: Revealed by a national-scale geochemical mapping

During national scale geochemical mapping in Pakistan, 69 elements including selenium were analyzed in 2563 stream sediment samples, which filled the gap of selenium distribution in the middle section of Tethyan metallogenic belt. The sampling density was 1–2 sites /100 km2. The geochemical concentration of selenium in the samples range from 0.008 to 6.849 mg/kg with an average value of 0.306 mg/kg. The highest average concentration of Se was found in the Suleiman Fold and Thrust Belt (anomaly III3), whereas the lowest is in WKLT Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc. The type of soil in Pakistan with the highest Se concentration is entisol. The high selenium anomalies are delineated in the northeast of Quetta, near Muslim Bagh, in Mekhtar-Musa Khel area and its southwest region, north of Quetta and Khushab. Three strong selenium anomalies have also been identified in the northeast of Islamabad, northwest of Rawalpindi and the east of Dargai, respectively. It is suggested that selenium anomalies, having a correlation with elements of Mo, CaO, S, Sr, are mainly caused by geological background of shale, coal and coal-bearing formations. Negative anomalies are mainly distributed in the northern Pakistan, which is mostly consists of bedrocks with no or very thin layer of soil. The product of anomaly intensity and variance are defined as prospecting favorable degree (Pfd). The product of Pfd and area (S) are defined as Quantity of Mineral (Qm). There are two anomalies with the highest Pfd in the east of Quetta city, and the anomaly in the southwest of Kundian ranks third. The selenium anomalies indicate the areas of potential Se enrichment and supply basic data and information for geochemical investigation on a larger scale or selenium relevant research.

Impact of Sexual Harassment on Female Students’ Educational Experience in Higher Education in Quetta City

Sexual harassment is a global phenomenon. The instances of harassment range from work place to educational institutions. Hence, sexual harassment prevails in every setting of society. But, the causes, nature and extent of harassment vary from place to place and culture. Therefore, impact of harassment on the victims also varies. There has been considerable research on the causes, prevalence and impact of harassment across the globe. The causes also vary due to different cultural contexts. Moreover, there has been legislation on international and national levels to curb this social issue but still cases of harassment pour in news from different corners of the world. There have been cases of sexual harassment in educational institutions of Pakistan for a couple of years. Furthermore, several researches have been conducted in Pakistan to evaluate the causes and consequences of SH in work place settings, but there has not been enough research on SH in educational settings especially on the effects of SH on the academic performances of the students. Hence, the current study was conducted under the objectives of finding the impact of harassment on educational experience of females studying in higher educational institutions in Quetta city. The study also contained two other objectives i.e. prevalence of harassment in higher educational institutions of Quetta city and understanding or perception of the concept of harassment by the subject female students. Results of the study found that Sexual harassment is prevalent in the higher educational institutions of Quetta city and it affects the studies of the students considerably with varying degrees. Finally, recommendations are also given after results and conclusion.

A Comparative Study of Hospital Waste Management at Public and Private Hospitals of Quetta City, Pakistan

A Comparative Study of Hospital Waste Management at Public and Private Hospitals of Quetta City, Pakistan

Nuclear and Joint Family System: Youth Perspective in Quetta, Balochistan

Every human being is a part of either a joint family or a nuclear family. Both types of families have multiple positive and negative consequences on individuals' lives, as previous literature represented various advantages and disadvantages of joint and nuclear families. According to Khatoon, A. (2008), in a joint family, the children's self-decision is discouraged due to the dominancy of the family head in all their choices. The aim of the present study was to analyze the actual experiences and perceptions of youth regarding joint and nuclear families in Quetta City. Even though the existence of joint and nuclear families has a strong influence on individuals' lives, there is still no scholarly work on them. Henceforth, the study selected a qualitative approach to analyze the experiences of youth (B.S. students) from the University of Balochistan. One Focus Group Discussion(FGDs) and nine interviews were conducted on the basis of data saturation through convenient sampling. Data collection tools included interview guide schedules in order to obtain rich pieces of information for targeted phenomena. Further data was analyzed through a thematic analysis tool. However, the findings of the present study portrayed the experiences and perceptions of respondents belonging to both family systems.

Bacterial Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Uropathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Quetta City, Pakistan

Bacterial Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Uropathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Quetta City, Pakistan

COVID-19 and Hand Hygiene: Has the Pandemic Heightened Mothers’ Awareness in Quetta City, Pakistan?

COVID-19 and Hand Hygiene: Has the Pandemic Heightened Mothers’ Awareness in Quetta City, Pakistan?

Knowledge of nurses about safety measures during the use of injections in public hospitals in Pakistan

Aim: Injection safety has over the years become important in view of the many diseases that are transmitted through unsafe injection practices. The objective was to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety by nurses in Tertiary Care Hospitals (Bolan Medical Complex, Sandmen Provincial Hospital, and Fatima Jinnah Chest and General Hospital) in Quetta City, Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. A structured questionnaire was the tool for data collection. All the nurses (358) who gave their consent in the Tertiary care hospitals were studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. The study was conducted from January 2023 till August 2023, it took eight months to complete. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 28.84 ± 8.6 years. The knowledge of injection safety among the respondents was adequate (84.6%) while their safety practice was found to be good (68.2%). Knowledge was significantly influenced by the age, sex, and years of experience of the nurses. One hundred and twelve (31.0%) detached needles and two hundred and sixty-two (73%) respondents recap the used needles regularly and sometimes respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge of injection safety was encouraging among the nurses in Tertiary care hospitals of Quetta City but their practice of injection safety was adequate. There is a need for these hospitals to organize regular training workshops and symposia.

Assessment of landcover impacts on the groundwater quality using hydrogeochemical and geospatial techniques.

Groundwater quality is influenced by urbanization and land use land cover (LULC) changes. This study investigated their impact on groundwater quality in Quetta City, Pakistan, from 2015 to 2021. About 58 groundwater samples from monitoring wells were analyzed using hydrogeochemical and statistical methods. The water quality index (WQI), Wilcox, USSL, and various agricultural indices were employed to assess water quality trends. LULC analysis and NDVI using Sentinel-2 imagery revealed increased urban and agricultural areas and decreased barren land. Rapid urbanization was evident, with the buildup class expanding by 7.50% during this period. NDVI findings emphasized monitoring vegetation health and water quality for environmental assessments. The groundwater in Quetta was primarily classified as Cl-Ca·Mg, Cl-Ca, and Cl-Na according to the Piper diagram, with water-rock interactions and rock weathering evident. Most groundwater samples were suitable for irrigation according to the Wilcox and USSL diagrams. The WQI demonstrated overall safety for human consumption, but declining WQI values in northern parts due to urbanization are concerning. The results also revealed a moderate positive relationship between landcover classes and WQI values. It can be concluded that urbanization and excessive use of pesticides contributed to declining agricultural land quality. The spatial overlay of agricultural indices with landcover class suggested that barren land was most suitable, followed by build-up and agriculture were suitable for drinking and agriculture purposes. Moreover, agricultural indices moderately declined due to excessive fertilizers and pesticides in the agriculture landcover class. Thus, effective water resource management is crucial to address challenges. This comprehensive study serves as a baseline for future research and recommends larger-scale studies to implement efficient management strategies, urbanization planning, and safe irrigation and drinking water practices to prevent groundwater pollution.

Treatment Outcomes of Severe Acute Malnutrition and Its Determinants Among Paediatric Patients in Quetta City, Pakistan.

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is the most prevalent reason for admission to a paediatric unit, and it is a leading cause of mortality in many countries, including Pakistan. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months with severe acute malnutrition. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program Centre established at the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical Complex Quetta. Out of 225 patients' records, data from 182 (80.8%) records were analysed based on the inclusion criteria. The SAM logbook was used as a source of data. Predictors of treatment outcomes were identified by applying a regression model with p<0.05 taken as significant. One hundred and twenty (65.9%) of the children were diagnosed with SAM, while the remaining 34.1% had Moderate Acute Malnutrition. Ninety-five (52.2%) children were included in the marasmus, while 47.8% were included in the Kwashiorkor cohort. The recovery rate was 68.6%; 22.5% were non-responsive, 11% defaulted on the program, and 3.5% died during management. The multivariate logistic regression identified the presence of diarrhea and the use of amoxicillin as significant prognosticators of treatment outcomes. Consequently, the odds of recovery on SAM among children with diarrhea [AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: (0.35-0.75)] were lower than those without diarrhea. Likewise, children on PO amoxicillin had higher chances of recovery [AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: (2.21-4.68)]. This study found that the recovery rate among children treated for SAM was poor based on the established Sphere Standard recommendation. In addition to community-based educational campaigns, capacity enhancement of OTP and frequent monitoring of services as well as program evaluation based on the management protocol is recommended to reduce the frequency of SAM among children.

Hospital Pharmacists' Viewpoint on Quality Use of Antibiotics and Resistance: A Qualitative Exploration from a Tertiary Care Hospital of Quetta City, Pakistan.

Suboptimal antibiotics use and the development of antibiotic resistance is a universal calamity. The theoretical model of therapeutic efficacy correlates quality use of antibiotics with healthcare practitioners' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance. Keeping this phenomenon in mind, we aimed to evaluate hospital pharmacists' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance at a public healthcare institute in Quetta city, Pakistan. This was a qualitative study that employed a semi-structured interview guide for data extraction. The phenomenology-based approach commissioned in-depth, face-to-face interviews with hospital pharmacists stationed at the surgical unit of Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta. The interviews were audio taped followed by transcribed verbatim and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Although the saturation was reached after the 10th interview, we conducted two additional interviews for definite validation. Content analysis revealed five major themes: (1) Defining antibiotics, quality use of antibiotics and resistance, (2) antibiotic use: awareness and concern, (3) antimicrobial resistance: awareness and concern, (4) responding to antibiotic use and resistance, and (5) barriers to quality use of antibiotics and prevention of antibiotic resistance. The knowledge of quality use of antibiotics and resistance was promising, and the respondents were eager to address the drastic situation. The respondents were aware of the critical situation and provided valuable insights that can offer valued input while promoting the quality use of antibiotics in a developing country. The current study managed to identify an adequate understanding of antibiotic use and resistance among hospital pharmacists. Additionally, prospective concerns and possible predictors of antibiotic resistance were also highlighted. The current findings must be disseminated to the policymakers and prescribers to take prompt restorative actions to address antibiotic use and the development of antibiotic resistance in a developing country like Pakistan.

Impact of Customer Relationship Management on the Performance of Hotels of Quetta

The paper examines the impact of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) on the performance of hotels of Quetta City. It is critical for businesses to understand the importance of CRM for sustainability and acquiring a competitive advantage in the industry. The hospitality industry is constantly focusing on CRM to properly understand the needs of their customers so that they can enhance their services. The paper uses a quantitative research approach by collecting information from customers of hotels of Quetta about their performance. A sample of 100 customers was used for the study with the help of a questionnaire. The data was collected and analyzed be done to assess the impact of CRM on Firm Performance of the hotels. It was determined that technology-based CRM is the most critical factor for improving performance, secondly customer orientation and finally knowledge management should be focused if hotels want to improve their financial performance in Quetta. The study helps the hotels of Quetta to assess their current firm’s performance and understand the important strategic changes they will need to further improve their performance to satisfy their customers.

Impact of Islamic Work Ethics on Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction in the Banking Sector of Quetta City

Organizational efficiency and effectiveness depend upon the implementation of rules, regulations and policies devised by the organization. Basically, organizations follow ethics, prescribed by their various religion. Those Countries following Islam, mainly follow Islamic work ethics. Studying Islamic work ethics and their impact on several attitudes and behavior of employees need time. This study examines the impact of Islamic work ethics on organizational citizenship behavior and organizational commitment through the mediating mechanism of job satisfaction. During the process of data gathering, 294 questionnaires from public and private sector banks of Quetta City were collected. Among 294 respondents 223 male and 71 female respondents participated in the survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis and evaluation. Linear regression was used for hypothesis testing and Andrew F. Hayes Process Macro Four was utilized for studying the mediating effect. The findings of the study reveal that Islamic work ethics is positively and significantly related to organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction significantly mediates the relationship between Islamic work Ethics and organizational citizenship behavior.

Causes and Prevention of Dropouts of Students in Higher Secondary Schools of Quetta

Education is an essential facet of any country's development, which can have a direct influence on the growth,development, and progress of its citizens. A cause for concern in this study is that education is a key factor in any country'sgrowth &amp; development. The incapability to complete the academic program leads to negative impacts on the students'lives in terms of prospects and overall development. Therefore, it has to be investigated the main dropout reasons in thecountry as well as the implementing strategies to overcome these issues. Regrettably, the dropout rate of students at highersecondary levels is higher, especially in the Quetta City of Pakistan, as most of the students are unable to continue theirhigher studies. So, the current study aimed to examine the causes and prevention plans in terms of teachers' perceptionsat higher secondary levels in Quetta City. The data was collected from 78 teachers from higher secondary schools withthe help of 20 questions using a 5-point Likert scale. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, includingpercentages and the chi-square method, with the help of the 'Statistical Package of Social Sciences' (SPSS) software.Multiple reasons have been found for dropout at higher secondary levels including lack of community support, socio-economic factors, absence of extra co-curricular activities, family-related issues, a weak relationship between teachers &amp;students, teacher absences, and most importantly the school has no concern regarding these issues. Furthermore, thesehigher secondary schools don't have any prevention plans for that. Although multiple NGOs, UNICEF (ALP), and otherorganizations are working on this issue, there is still no single prevention plan for dropouts. The study also attempted toidentify geographic and societal factors contributing to the high dropout rate and suggest practical solutions.Recommendations; Raising awareness about the issue of school dropouts and prevention strategies is crucial amongparents, teachers, stakeholders, and heads of educational institutions in Quetta's higher secondary schools to decrease thedropout rate and related prevention strategies

AN ANALYSIS OF MADRASA EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENT’S CONFIDENCE LEVEL AND CHARACTER BUILDING

Education is the important part of the any individual life either that’s is worldly education or Islamic education. Madrasa education aim is to connect human soul to the God in a positive way. The current research purpose was to analyze the Madrasa education and its impact on student’s confidence level and character building. So, it was further investigated to find features of Madrasa education, identify level of confidence and character building and find relationship between Madrasa education and character building. Previous literature had rich material, that how the Madrasa education impact on student’s confidence level and character building in numerous ways. The quantitative survey design has used to collect the data from Quetta city Madrasas. Further, the simple random technique used to distribute the questionnaire. Current study has used structure questionnaire for the data collection and the population of the study was taken from 10 registered Madrasas of the Quetta city. The data of the present research was analyzed through SPSS version 23 and test has used for the descriptive analysis, mean and Pearson’s correlation. The result of the study showed that, the students of Madrasa confident is high, but the other variables of the character building were missing, Madrasa education seems fail in building the character of students. It was also found that there is no significant impact of Madrasa education on student’s character building. It is recommended that, provide well trained and intelligent teachers to Madrasa’s students. It is necessary to develop and polish the skills of Madrasa’s students because it will help them to build their character and make them a successful person in the society. Government need to pay attention because there are number of issues which government can solve by providing funds to the Quetta city Madrasas

Assessment of physico-chemical, spectroscopic elemental, and biological analysis of sewage water of Habib Nalla in Quetta City

Assessment of physico-chemical, spectroscopic elemental, and biological analysis of sewage water of Habib Nalla in Quetta City