KARACHI, Jan 2: The Federal Minister for Health, Mohammad Nasir Khan, has said that a realistic revision will be made in the funding and budgetary allocations for the federally-administered healthcare units across the country.

He said this during his visit to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) here on Thursday.

The minister appreciated the efficiency of the specialized healthcare institutions — the NICVD, National Institute of Child Health (NICH) and other departments of the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) — which, he observed, had been perfectly handling the ever-growing pressure of patients without any additional support from government.

“Coordination between these institutions and philanthropists is commendable,” he remarked.

Prof Azhar Farooqui, Director of the NICVD, in his welcome address, apprised the minister of the facilities being introduced at the institute at regular intervals despite shortage of funds.

Responding to the briefing, given by the Director of NICH, Prof Zeenat Issani during the minister’s visit to the department, Nasir Khan held out the assurance that appropriate measures would be taken without any delay to resolve the problem of staff shortage.

He said that the concerned administrators would have a say in the process of fresh recruitment while matters related to the promotions and upgrading of posts would also be looked into.

He keenly took round the institute’s Cancer Ward and hailed the efforts of the Child Aid Association, an NGO comprising doctors and philanthropists which had made the Ward a meaningful provision for the children of needy people.

Nasir Khan also held out the assurance that necessary support would be extended with regard to make the NICH’s Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit functional.

He told doctors on the occasion that the proposal pertaining to the stipend for the post-graduate doctors had been sent to the finance department and hoped that the matter would be settled soon amicably. He urged the JPMC doctors to end their strike.

The minister also advised the doctors and other medical staff to change their attitude with patients and pay full attention to their treatment. Observing that most of the patients visiting the hospital came from lower class, he said that the medical staff should adopt sympathetic attitude and politeness.

According to an official statement issued here on Thursday, the minister said that a sum of Rs9.6 million had been allocated for the elimination of polio besides Rs7.2 million for the healthcare of women and children.

He said that the government was determined to do its utmost for the uplift of health sector.—APP