NEWSLETTER
PASTIC
Volume 3, Issue 4
April 2020
01
PASTIC as per its mandate of catering the S&T
information needs of academia, R&D, industry and
general community has developed a “COVID-19 S&T
Information Resource Portal” (an online National
Scientific and Technological Information Source on
Coronavirus)
http://covid.pastic.gov.pk/funding-
.
Covid-19 S&T Information Portal
Developed
The portal provides latest information on
national/international publications (research articles,
books and book-chapters by various publishers);
technologies/techniques (testing kits, ventilators,
masks, gloves, medical clothing, disinfectants,
sanitizers etc); calls for proposals announced by
various funding agencies (to carryout R&D to cope
with the crises); countries; dashboards showing
various disease combating models adopted by
different current statistics (confirmed & active cases,
deaths and recovered); databases of local
scientist/researchers, institutions and industry
(available for R&D in domains of Microbiology,
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Health, Molecular
Biology & Genetics, Biochemistry, Virology,
Zoology, Epidemiology, Biomedical and Engineering,
etc); Govt. guidelines to manage the current situations
as well as the general information including
symptoms, precautions and treatment etc.
PASTIC presented the COVID-19 S&T Resource
portal (
on April 27, 2020. Mr.
Saifullah Azim, Principal System Analyst, was the
R e s o u r c e P e r s o n f r o m PA S T I C . P r a c t i c a l
demonstration of the developed portal along with
features/facilities was presented to the audience, and
National TV channels for awareness purpose. Some
pictures representing this activity are displayed below.
Mr. Saifullah Azim, Principal System Analyst, with Mr.
Tahir Masoud, System Analyst and Mr. Nabi Bakhash,
Assistant Web Manager at Post Covid-19 showcase.
NEWSLETTER
PASTIC
Volume 3, Issue 4
02
April 2020
PASTIC has successfully subscribed to Trip Pro
Database System which contains evidence based
health and medical related articles for provision to
clients free of charge. The initiative was taken by Dr.
Syed Aftab Hussain Shah, Sr. SIO. We are grateful to
Mr. Jon Brassey Director, Trip Database, Honorary
Fellow at CEBM, and University of Oxford for
providing access to the database. The database will be
helpful for medical and health professionals.
PASTIC Report on COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2)
: Global and Pakistan Perspective
A report titled “COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2): Global
and Pakistan Perspective,” compiled by Dr. Syed
Aftab Hussain Shah, Sr. SIO, PASTIC and edited by
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram Shaikh, Director
General, PASTIC, has been presented to Secretary,
Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) on April
24th, 2020.
This report addresses the Global and Pakistan
perspective in two parts to combat novel corona virus
disease 19 (COVID-19) which is caused by severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-
COV-2). Part 1 highlights the disease epidemiology,
viral kinetics, diagnosis, COVID-19 testing and
preventive measures. Global Models of China and
South Korea have also been drawn out and compared
with Pakistan. Part 2 highlights Pakistan's perspective
on COVID-19, funding calls for Research and
Development, and PASTIC's initiative of web portal
development hosting manifold databases. The report
expects adoption of Triple-Helix Model involving
Government, Universities, R&D Institutes, Industries
and Funding agencies (HEC, PSF, MoST, IGNITE
( M o I T ) & D O S T, G o v e r n m e n t o f K h y b e r
Pakhtunkhwa) to cater to the future S&T challenges.
The recommendations are also provided to combat
COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.
PASTIC
Social Welfare Activities of PASTIC Sub-Centre
Quetta during Coronavirus Pandemic
PASTIC Sub-centre Quetta, in collaboration with
government of Balochistan (Street Children
Development Program), stood by the poor persons
and street children, in the hour of their need,
distributed 200 Rashan bags door to door among
them, provided them masks, and briefed them about
“Social distancing”, “Stay home save life” and Ahsas
programs. Some pictures representing this activity are
displayed below.
Mr. Abdul Khalique Sial, In-Charge PASTIC Sub-
Centre Quetta, distributing rashan bags and masks
among poor persons.
Stock of rashan bags being managed, before
distribution among poor persons, by PASTIC Sub-
Centre Quetta.