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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has demanded of the government to allocate of four per cent of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP) for health sector in federal, as well as provincial budgets for the year 2011-12.
In a statement issued here on Monday, the PIMA said that last year, Rs 24 billion were for health, 0.8 per cent of total GDP, with a significant decrease in the budget of EPI, family planning and basic health care services.
Furthermore, the budget was reduced to 54 per cent in order to overcome the deficit caused by the devastating floods which lead to the further deterioration of the health system, it added.
The PIMA emphasized the need to focus on “Basic Prevention” as it would control the diseases at initial level, decreasing the load of patients on health sector and improving the overall health standard.
In this respect, the foremost, importance to be paid on vaccination programme to ensure free of cost vaccines and 30 billion rupees should be allocated for provision of most up to vaccines.
10 million rupees should be allocated for eradication of TB and malaria, it added.
It further said that keeping in mind the importance of nutrition in early years, Rs 10 billion should be allocated for food and nutrition programme.
Already established, Basic Health Unit system should be reactivated by the appointment of “UC Health Officer” at UC Level who should supervise the vaccination, malaria, TB and rabies prevention, mother & child care in his respective Union Council.
