KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on Thursday told that the provincial government was not considering any policy to reward the parents having two or fewer children, but had taken several measures for population control in the province.

While furnishing a statement and replying to the lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during the Question Hour session in the provincial Assembly, Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, who also holds the portfolio of health ministry, said that people could not be coerced to adopt family planning means as it would be violation of human rights.

Responding to a question asked by Grand Democratic Alliance’s member Arif Mustafa Jatoi, she said that the government was not considering any policy to reward the parents having two or fewer children.

Replying to a supplementary question, the minister said that the provincial government was working to introduce long-acting contraceptives having effects up to two to three years.

She said that the government intended to appoint counsellors to bring people round to family planning.

Replying to a query asked by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf member Khurram Sher Zaman, the minister said there was no shortage of medicines at Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana. “The hospital is providing all required medicines to all patients and no patient is being forced to buy drugs from the open market,” she added.

Responding to another question raised by Mr Zaman, she said that the X-ray unit, ultrasound machine, ambulance and heavy generator for casualty section were functional at the Civil Hospital Kandhkot.

Replying to a question asked by PTI’s member Omar Omari, the minister said that there were 88 male and 125 female doctors at the Civil Hospital Karachi, while the number at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre was 50 and 43 respectively.

She said that seven male doctors and three female doctors were in Grade-20 in CHK, while two male doctors and one female doctor were in Grade-20 in the JPMC.

Dr Pechuho further said that there were a total of 1,180 male and 436 female staffers at the CHK. She said that the JPMC had a total of 1,108 male staffers and 358 female staffers.

Replying to another question asked by Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s member Rana Ansar, she said that there were 49 trauma centres across the province and of them 34 were functional.

Responding to another written question asked by Ms Ansar, the minister said that the CyberKnife unit existed only at the JPMC, where as many as 109 patients had been treated till March, 2019.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019