ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Federal Minister for Health Mohammad Nasir Khan has said there is no need to build any new health institution in the country while there is a need to upgrade the existing facilities.
Delivering his keynote speech at the inaugural session of the National Health Conference at Convention Centre here on Tuesday, the minister said there could be a revolutionary change in the health sector if existing health centres were modernized.
He said Pakistan already had basic health infrastructure with basic health units, district and Tehsil headquarters hospitals and dispensaries. "I believe that it is of utmost importance to consolidate the existing health care facilities by providing them trained health staff, equipment and medicines rather than building new facilities," the minister said.
The minister also directed the managements of all the hospitals to stay alert as the country was facing a serious situation in wake of terrorist incidents. He praised the staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH) for providing good treatment to those injured in the suicide attack on Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz.
He said improving the quality of life of the people was high on the agenda of the government, as the progress and prosperity of a nation was directly related to the health of its individuals.
He said the government had increased the allocation for the health sector in the budget from Rs3.2 billion to Rs6.1 billion. The minister particularly praised the Punjab government for making an 85 per cent increase in the health budget.
He said drug manufacturers had invested about $1.3 billion in the country. He, however, urged them to extend support to the health research system and help the public sector in bringing the system at par with international standards.
For the first time, Mr Khan said, relevant legislations were being enacted to support and facilitate the implementation of intervention programmes to promote health and prevent diseases.
After the "Mental Health", "Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health", "Promotion of Breast Feeding and Child Nutrition" and Transfusion of Safe Blood" legislations, the ministry has put on the anvil the long overdue "Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Bill, he said, adding: "Most of us have known and some of us have even experienced the agony of watching a loved one suffer and even die after an accident because, for medico-legal reasons the emergency services could not be provided". This bill, he said, had been prepared to ensure timely resuscitation of victims of accidents and prevent deaths and disability.
He further said the government had initiated some urgent reforms to set things right in the health sector. "We are on the verge of eradicating polio and hence ensuring a disability-free future for our children. Effective steps are being taken to prevent and control mass killer disease like Malaria, TB, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS", he said.
A Disease Early Warning System is being incorporated to ensure preparedness and control of epidemics as well as the newly-emerging infections likes Sars and bird flu, Mr Khan said.
The minister said efforts were also on to give due respect to all cadres of health care providers. He was of the view that hospitals should have an adequate budget for service-delivery as it had been observed that in most public sector hospitals, 70 to 80 per cent of the budget was committed towards pay and establishment costs.
He said the recommendations of the participants of the conference would be given a serious consideration while formulating the new health policy. He said earlier such conference was held in 1955.
