9 April 2005	Saturday	29 Safar 1426

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RAWALPINDI, April 8: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said the government was committed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate and build a healthy society.

Speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Rs1.4-billion women and children hospital in Rawalpindi on Friday, he said the 400-bed hospital will be built at the T.B. Centre site along Asghar Mall. To be completed in two years, the hospital will provide the most modern treatment facilities for the people of Rawalpindi, Islamabad and adjoining areas.

The prime minister said, it is a befitting gift for the people of Pakistan, in general, and Rawalpindi, in particular.

He said, “the establishment of this hospital signifies our endorsement of the motto ‘make every mother and child count’, which was the theme for this year’s World Health Day celebrated on Thursday.

It reflects the government’s commitment to ensure nation- wide outreach of public health facilities, reduce maternal and infant mortality rate, Prime Minister Aziz said.

The hospital will provide emergency, neo-natal intensive care, burn care, gynae and obstetric services.

The prime minister complimented the minister for information for driving this project and the ministry of health for fast processing to make it a reality.

This hospital and all major hospitals, in future will include drug rehabilitation facility, he added.

It will be in addition to a modern drug rehabilitation hospital being established in Islamabad, and will be ready for service by the end of this year. These facilities will help in rehabilitating drug addicts as productive members of the society.

The prime minister said health sector allocations for the current financial year had been increased by 42 per cent.

The prime minister said “safe motherhood initiative” has emerged as a powerful campaign for women’s health. It reflects the potential for improved care for pregnant women and better working of health services to reduce the burden of maternal and newborn ill-health.

Specific health interventions can reduce the incidence and severity of major complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth, Prime Minister Aziz said.

Another core programmes include women healthcare project (Rs788 million) and community midwifery project (Rs748 million), the prime minister added.

Reiterating his government’s commitment for the provision of better services within the resources available, Premier Aziz said, “our goal is to provide health care to all at their door- step through a vast network of primary health care facilities down to the union council level and tertiary hospitals”.

The government intends to employ 100,000 lady health workers at a cost of Rs21 billion for maternal and child health care programme.

The ministry of health in collaboration with the provincial health departments and district governments should ensure that good quality essential services are in place in all health facilities that are functioning effectively.

The ministry will have to devise mechanisms to improve the delivery of services. It is a formidable task and requires partnerships, public-private partnership, and government and civil society partnership. Hundreds of organizations and the civil society can raise awareness and stimulate collective responsibility and action to ensure life and good health among precious members of society, he said.

The prime minister said our high maternal and neonatal mortality were attributed to high fertility rates, low skilled birth attendance rate, low levels of female literacy, poverty, malnutrition among women of reproductive age, and inadequate and unreliable access to obstetric, child care and family planning services, he added.

“It is our conviction that no society can flourish and prosper without a strong family system that recognizes the centrality of mother providing strength to the family through caring, nurturing, and passion.”

The ceremony was attended by Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid, Health Minister Naseer Khan, Minister of State for Health Shahnaz Sheikh and Federal Secretary Health Syed Anwer Mahmud.

In his address of welcome, Federal Health Minister Nasir Khan said the new hospital would particularly cater to the health needs of women and children.

It would have a burn unit, cardiology unit besides a nursing and paramedics training institution.

The minister said the federal government had increased its health budget to Rs6.2 billion and during the current financial year and it would be raised by another 40 per cent.

Overall, the health budget of the country had been raised from Rs16 billion to Rs39 billion, he added.

The minister said a national programme for control of hepatitis had been launched at a cost of Rs2.5 billion to fight this disease. The expanded programme for immunization is aimed at protecting the children against six communicable disease. These include measles, hepatitis, polio, diphtheria, pertusis, and tetanus.

He said, Pakistan is among the six countries, including India and Afghanistan, where cases of polio had been reported.

The government was determined to eradicate the disease from the country by the end of this year, he added.

After the passage of Medical Legal Report Bill from the parliament, he said, persons involved in accidents would first get treatment instead of fulfilling the legal requirements as was done before.

The health minister underlined the need to encourage women to get admitted to hospitals for childbirth instead of relying on outdated methods.

One women dies after every 20 minutes due to complications during pregnancy, he added.

New projects soon: Speaking on the occasion Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said various new health projects would be initiated and facilities improved in hospitals in Rawalpindi city.

The minister said the prime minister had gifted the mega health project to the people of Rawalpindi as he spent his youth in the city and was a student of Gordon College.—APP/PPI