KARACHI, Jan 24: Healthcare needs of the masses are low on political parties’ list of priorities.

This emerged during deliberations following a meeting organized by the Pakistan Medical Association here on Wednesday evening.

Prominent politicians representing their respective parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the National Workers Party, tried to discuss the health agenda their party might have adopted under their respective manifestos for the upcoming elections.

Each spelled out the programmes they intended to undertake, or improve, for the sake of the people, with specific reference to their health status, yet none could put forward any concrete proposal to counter the constant deterioration.

They also lacked clear commitment to earmark the much-needed funds that could bridge the gap in the actual needs and available budgetary allocations.

While Mamnoon Hussain of the PML-N promised that ordinary citizens if needed would even be flown abroad, he could talk little about preventive measures.

Taj Haider of the PPP was quite articulate in highlighting the goals his party, once in power, intended to achieve for quality life and public health, but was non-committal on how it could be delivered.

Despite being persuaded by the medical professionals that the country needed to have at least five to six per cent of the GDP allocated for the health sector, the senior politician said physical targets were realistic options.

Mr Haider expressed his concern that of every Rs10 allocated as health budget, only Re1 reached the patients.

Dr Farooq Sattar of the MQM said that budget allocations needed to be increased gradually and that equal attention was required to improve foreign and domestic policies so that the allocation for non-development expenditures could be curtailed.

Advocate Akhter Hussain of the NWP said countries with resource constraints, such as Cuba, holding public wellbeing among their top priorities, had provided exemplary systems for their people.

He underscored the need to change the system as well as socio-economic culture with policies beneficial for the masses.

The politicians were unanimous that quality life and health status coupled with the people’s right to education was a prerequisite for national progress and economic uplift.—APP