KARACHI, April 11: The public health issue is a victim of misplaced priorities and widespread corruption. It’s time the government realised that what the country needs is an efficient primary and emergency healthcare system and provision of basic facilities and not lavish expenditure on tertiary care centres and elite medical towers.

This was stated by Honorary Secretary General Pakistan Medical Association Dr Habib-ur-Rehman Soomro at a press conference held for the PMA’s annual health report release at PMA House. He was accompanied by PMA members Professor Dr Tipu Sultan, Dr Samrina Hashmi and Dr Qaiser Sajjad.

Commenting upon the government measures for health uplift, Dr Soomro said in a country where 70 per cent of the population has no access to primary and emergency care, 1.2 million people die of water borne diseases annually, a child die of some disease every minute and 70 women die of pregnancy-related complications every day, the government has no justification to spend money on lavish projects.

“It’s a shame that Iran and Bangladesh had successfully eradicated polio with six and four rounds, while new polio cases are still being reported in Pakistan despite having more than 62 rounds of vaccination. Diseases like hepatitis and malaria are on the rise while the public is ignorant of the emerging HIV/AIDS threat,” he said.

The government, he said, should spend on basic needs first. One of the requirements for provision of primary healthcare is the availability of paramedics and nurses. “At the moment, there is a dearth of paramedics at all health units in rural areas. More ironic, perhaps, is the fact that the government has adopted a policy of appointing doctors on contract, bypassing public service commission,” he said.

He condemned government inaction against the manufacturers of fake drugs and quakes and claimed that there are 600,000 quacks in the country. He also expressed concern over the flourishing kidney trade in the country and said Pakistan is the only Muslim country in the world where there is no law on organ transplantation. “The kidney trade has reached the Rs1 billion mark,” Dr Tipu Sultan added.

About medical education, he said medical colleges in public sector are in pathetic state but the government is bent upon building medical universities. He demanded an end to government interference in Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and make it an autonomous institution.

The PMA demanded an increase in the health budget up to six percent of the GDP; appointment of midwives, paramedics, doctors and nurses at health units on emergency basis; provision of clean water and improved sewerage system; strengthening of Expanded Programme of Immunisation and medical education; appointments on merit; career structure of doctors working in public and private sector and regulation of private hospitals and clinics for public benefit.