Lahore, Pakistan — January 1, 2026: The Journal of Basic & Clinical Medical Sciences (JBCMS) is pleased to announce that Volume 4, Issue 2 (2025) is now available online. This is the second issue published under the journal's semiannual schedule. It brings together five original research articles and one letter, published between October and December 2025, covering surgery, infectious disease, child health, mental health, and health economics in Pakistan.

The issue opens with a prospective comparative study by Farhan Ahmed Majeed and colleagues on surgical fixation versus conservative management for rib fractures caused by blunt chest trauma. The study followed 114 patients with unstable rib fractures. Patients who underwent surgical stabilization reported less pain, recovered lung function faster, and needed oxygen and ventilatory support less often. They also spent about half as long in hospital and were more likely to have returned to work within a month. Mortality was lower in the surgical group, although this difference was not statistically significant. The authors also highlight the feasibility of custom-made implants in resource-limited settings.

In tuberculosis care, Waseem Ullah and colleagues assess delays in the referral, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis patients in a community pharmacy network in Pakistan. Of 500 pharmacies trained to refer patients with suspected tuberculosis, 85% went on to make referrals. Among the 547 tuberculosis cases identified through the network, diagnosis and treatment followed quickly once patients were referred. Pharmacies took a median of 46 days to begin referring after training, which suggests that putting such programs into practice is where the main delays occur.

In child health, Rafia Jamil and colleagues report a randomized placebo-controlled trial on the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation in children under five years of age with acute watery diarrhea. The trial enrolled 324 children at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Folic acid did not reduce the frequency of loose stools, improve stool consistency, or shorten the duration of illness compared with placebo. This is a clear negative finding that can help guide clinical practice.

Zara Husaain Khan examines depressive symptoms among working women and homemakers in an urban community of Pakistan. The study included 350 women in Hirabad, Hyderabad, and found depressive symptoms in nearly four in ten. Rates were somewhat higher among homemakers than working women, but the difference was not statistically significant. Age, marital status, education, and socioeconomic status were linked to depressive symptoms, whereas employment status was not.

Usman Ali Khan and colleagues investigate the socioeconomic and clinical determinants of the cost of illness in breast cancer among 200 women treated at two public tertiary care hospitals in Lahore. The financial burden on households varied with patients' socioeconomic and clinical characteristics. The husband's education, place of residence, employment, disease stage, and family history of breast cancer were each independently associated with the overall cost of illness.

The issue closes with a letter by Hira Khan on the low use of annual influenza vaccination in Pakistan among patients with heart failure and COPD. The letter attributes poor coverage to limited awareness among patients and healthcare providers, vaccine hesitancy, cost, and the absence of a structured national program, and it calls for a coordinated, intersectoral response.

All articles in this issue are freely available to read and download. The editorial team thanks the authors, reviewers, and editorial board members whose work made this issue possible. Researchers, clinicians, and health professionals are invited to explore the issue and to submit original work for future issues of JBCMS.

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