ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: About 70 per cent of the allocated budget for the health sector can be saved and health services and facilities extended to majority of the people if facilities for storing medicines are improved.

This was stated by the federal minister for health, Abdul Malik Kasi. He was speaking at a seminar organized by The Network for Consumer Protection here at a local hotel.

The seminar was also attended by several officials including the health ministers of the NWFP and Balochistan, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Khalif Bille, Director General of NWFP Habibur Rehman and the associate health advisor of DFID.

The findings of a survey were also discussed at the seminar by the participants.

The survey was conducted by the Emergency Drug Supply Project (EDSP), funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the government of the United Kingdom (UK).

Mr Kasi described the survey as a very fruitful exercise and urged the authorities concerned to make more efforts in this regard.

The project director of the EDSP, Dr Asad Hafeez, told the participants that the EDSP’s team conducted the baseline quantitative survey in 20 public health facilities of the NWFP and Balochistan.

According to the survey, the drug delivery system of the country needed to be improved to ensure rational prescription, helpful dispensing and improved storage and better consumer compliance.

The study has also recommended to take appropriate steps like development of standard operation procedures by involving relevant stakeholders, in-service training schedules need to be developed and practised.