KARACHI, July 28: The Secretary Health Sindh, Prof Noshad Shaikh, has urged the paramedical staff to work with dedication and sincerity together with the health department to improve healthcare in hospitals.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the Sindh Paramedical Staff Welfare Association’s central cabinet last evening held at a local hotel, he said paramedical staff was working in unsatisfactory conditions on low salaries and without incentives.

He appreciated the services of paramedical staff and nurses and said they were providing 70-80 per cent care to patients, but their ratio as compared to doctors was less in Sindh.

“According to international standards, one paramedics and one nurse should be spared for one bed,” he added.

Prof Noshad said that it was very easy to criticize the functioning of hospitals but the fact was that government hospitals were serving people at their best and paramedics were working without any greed.

Regarding the service structure of paramedics, he said it was their right, adding that the health department had already completed its working on the new service structure, which was now with the finance department.

“We have provided a better service structure than other provinces regarding promotions and salaries. I hope it will also get approval from the finance department,” he added.

Prof Noshad said he had stopped work on the I.I. Depot after realizing that public money was being wasted there.

Sindh Minister for Social Welfare, Culture and Tourism Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani also spoke.–PPI