ISLAMABAD: The ranking of Pakistan’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) echoed in the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Friday.

Committee members also signed a calling attention notice on the matter, which was sent to the National Assembly secretary.

Pakistan was ranked 149th, the first global assessment of the progress of 188 countries towards achieving the United Nation’s health-related SDGs. The study was launched at the UN General Assembly in New York City, and published in The Lancet on Thursday.

The study evaluated countries by creating an overall index score, on a scale of zero to 100. Pakistan’s score of 38 was shared with Bangladesh and Mauritania.

On Friday morning, MNA Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto told the standing committee about media reports regarding Pakistan’s progress towards achieving the SDGs.

“Unfortunately, health is nowhere in the government’s priorities. We need to give the health sector priority, otherwise problems in the country will increase further,” she said.

Ms Bhutto then presented an already drafted calling attention notice, asking members to sign it. The notice, available with Dawn, was signed by Ms Bhutto, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Dr Ramesh Kumar, Abdul Qahar Wadan and Dr Zulfiqar Bhatti.

It reads: “We would like to invite the attention of Minister for NHS towards the unsatisfactory and poor progress of Pakistan towards the SDGs causing grave concern among the public. It is alarming that Pakistan currently stands at 149th position out of 188 countries in meeting health goals.”

The notice called the matter serious, and said it required immediate discussion on the floor of the house.

Dr Kumar told Dawn that even though health was devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment, it was the responsibility of the provincial and the federal governments.

“The provinces are doing nothing to address health issues,” he said. “There are 18 health departments with the federal government to which CEOs have to be appointed under the 18th Amendment, but CEOs have not been appointed in 17 of them.”

He added that corruption in various health departments had also led to their poor performance.

Discussing the way forward, Dr Kumar said the provincial government should forget their differences and start working towards the betterment of the health sector.

Pakistan Nursing Council

The committee meeting was also briefed on the Pakistan Nursing Council and the registration mechanism. The committee suggested the development of a service structure and promotion policy for nursing staff, as well as an online registration facility.

The committee also suggested that council sub-offices be established at the provincial level.

NHS Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said the first nursing university is going to be established in Islamabad with the collaboration of the Bahraini government. She said the council’s strategic plan 2021 and Vision 2025 are also in progress.

She added that the president of the nursing council holds a PhD in nursing, which is a first in the country’s history.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2016