Atif Mumtaz's blog

Saints Among Us

It were the mid 1980s. I was not yet a teenager. And one warm night in Lahore, I listened to this elderly man, give a passionate speech. He sported a long white beard and wore ragged black kamiz shalwar, and in a soft but stern voice, he declared, “I will build a network of health centers over the 1500 km main highway connecting Karachi to Peshawar. And after every 50 kilometers there will be a small basic health center manned by an ambulance. These services are for all mankind free of cost.”

Penetration of ICT in Rural Communities

If we build cool and cheap devices would rural communities use them? Would US$100 laptop make a difference in their lives? Can we increase the usage of computers in rural societies from nearly zero to over 50% in the coming 10 years? These are some of the questions being pondered by the world leaders and technologists.

I landed safely in Pakistan after a 36-hour journey from San Francisco to Islamabad, Pakistan on March 19. This is my first visit to my home country after the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Just a few hours after my arrival, the northern Pakistan, including, Islamabad was shaken with yet another moderate earthquake of 5.0 magnitude. Even though there were no deaths or destructions reported this time, but it is a reminder that I have arrived in the earthquake active zone. Already, there have been over 1780 aftershocks that have been felt through the region since the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Last week, an earthquake of 5.2, had caused the death of at least one individual and injury to 16 people in Pakistan’s Kashmir region.

Dear All,

Does anyone know how to change their own picture on the PUBLIC RDVP website? I know how to change it on Fellownies, but need to know on RDVP. I actually do not want a happy face picture of me out there when my last few blogs have been about death and destruction in Pakistan.

Candle Light Vigil for Earthquake Victims in Pakistan

The situation in Pakistan is still worse. People are still suffering and dying. Aftershocks are still rocking the country and making it impossible to work and live. 

Today's speaker in our seminar series was Mr. Sohaib Abbasi. He is a 20 year veteran with Oracle and now is CEO & Chairman of Informatica Inc. It was interesting to listen to his understanding of the IT Industry and how it has grown in the past many decades. Mr Abbasi had a clear vision of how one should work in the industry. He was of the view that one should clearly focus on an aspect of the business and try to excel in it rather than try to dab into many things and not get anything right.

On the morning of October 8th, 2005, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck 60 miles north of Islamabad causing utter devastation throughout the region. Tremors were felt as far away as Kabul to the west and Delhi to the east. The main areas affected by the destructive earthquake are regions of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Currently, the estimated death toll is 40,000, yet this figure continues to rise, as many areas affected by the region have yet to be reached. More than 60,000 people are injured, and 4.5 million people have been left homeless. More than 80% of Muzaffarabad (capital of Kashmir) has been destroyed, and many villages and towns (Balakot) have been completely wiped out.

Earthquake has shaken the country to its core. More than 20,000 are feared dead and the toll is rising. This is by far the severest quake in the history of Pakistan registering 7.6 on the rector scale. The Northern Pakistan including the capital, Islamabad are devastated. Many small towns and villages have been flattened to the ground. And landslides as a result of series of earthquakes have washed away roads thus making it inaccessible for rescuers to get anywhere in time. Pakistan is going through one of its worst disasters ever.

We propose to develop and implement an Internet technology-based infrastructure for Tele-health in rural areas assisting doctor diagnosis and patient treatment. We will launch a web portal for communication between hospitals and patients and will support a biometric-ready Patient Medical Record Management System.