People of Pakistan have had more than their share of broken dreams. The prevailing feeling of being used and abused in the hands of military dictators and politicians alike, have created a general atmosphere of cynicism with a strong acrid smell of pessimism.


No wonder if one finds it difficult to highlight and discuss the positive aspects of our society. But it is only hard and not impossible. Say, Dr Adeeb Rizvi, whose towering personality and services stand out high above the bleak clouds of gloom.


Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), the Institute he has nurtured with his blood and sweat, is now one of the largest public sector health organization in the country. Not only the treatment, even the cleanliness of his Institute is in stark contrast with other public and some private sector hospitals.


I never took much interest in him or his hospital. The cynic inside me considered its advertisements in newspapers and on billboards as another sham. It was only later when I met a family who had migrated to Karachi so that their son can get world class treatment in SIUT. The parents were all praise for him. "If it weren't for SIUT, how could we have afforded expensive dialysis sessions".


The mother also told me that Dr Rizvi himself picks up any wrapper or paper he finds on the floor, instead of waiting for the sweeper to do it. Of course, with such humility, attention to detail, passion for work, why will not his Institute become an international centre of excellence.


I still ask myself that what weighs more - the love and sacrifice of the parents who left everything behind so that they can get their son treated, or the altruism of the man whose name is enough to instil trust and belief in every Pakistani.