KARACHI, Dec 27: The Federal Health Minister, Mohammad Nasir Khan, has reiterated the government's commitment to ensure equitable distribution of national health budget among all citizens of the country.

Speaking at the 42nd annual symposium of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Monday, the minister said the government, realizing its responsibility towards health care needs of the masses, had already made a significant increase in the national health budget during the last few years.

Saying that he as a health minister of Pakistan had been elected as the president of the World Health Organization, Nasir Khan, said he had been seeking across-the-board access to quality healthcare needs for all people through the very international platform.

Elaborating his stance, he reminded that 90 per cent of the world health budget worth $36 billion was assessed to be utilized by a mere 10 per cent of the world population. Mr Khan maintained that the very spirit had been adopted in Pakistan too, and a constant rise was being made in the health sector in every passing year.

The national health budget of Pakistan now constituted a significant portion of the GNP, coming to around 98 per cent, he said, reminding that the federal health ministry, fully conscious of the growing pressure on the facility, had also raised the annual budgetary allocation for the JPMC. It was only this fiscal year, 2004-05, that Rs700 million were earmarked for the JPMC and the amount would be further increased in 2005-06, he said.

The JPMC Director, Prof Mashoor Alam, and his team of doctors serving at various departments of the hospital were advised to prepare a PC-1 of the renovation and uplifting projects envisaged by them, and despatch the same to the federal health ministry for necessary approval, to pave way for required funding.

Responding to the plea adopted by Prof Masood Sheikh, chairman, Scientific Committee of the 42nd Annual Symposium of the JPMC, the minister acknowledged the significance of research by medical scientists particularly in the backdrop of the fact that considerably high morbidity and mortality rates in the country were attributable to health conditions, which were largely preventable.

The fact that water borne as well as blood-related diseases caste their hefty toll on the masses, it cannot be overlooked, he said. In this regard, the federal health minister mentioned that the government had already passed a 'Safe Blood Transfusion' bill while another on 'Cadaver Organ Donation' was soon to be tabled before the National Assembly.

He, on the occasion, also mentioned the law paving way for urgent admission and intervention into instances related to medico-legal cases, adding that it was the Senate Chairman, Mohammadmian Soomro, who played a role in the legislation providing necessary relief to the masses.

Mr Soomro, who was the chief guest on the occasion, acknowledged the contribution made by the JPMC and its doctors, nurses and other hospital staff towards the ailing humanity.

He maintained that it was high time that players concerned examined limiting factors and explored possible rectification, adding that good clinical as well as basic research would require an efficiently running administration and hospital.

Prof Mashoor, complained that encroachment on the JPMC land had emerged as a major problem, the JPMC director mentioned, adding that about 20 acres of the total 75 acres of the hospital's land was encroached upon.

Referring to postgraduate medical training offered to local doctors, he said training was provided to FCPS, MS, MD, MCPS, DGO and resident medical officers 369 medical officers of SMC, 150 of federal, 235 of general nursing, to 53 students in ward administration, 46 in teaching and administration, 10 in community health, 10 in mental health nursing, 12 in basic nursing, and 200 students of BSc (Physiotherapy) were said to be trainees registered for the wide range of programmes offered by the JPMC.

Clinical training to and examination for MPhil students was also provided by the Basic Medical Science Institute, an institute associated with the JPMC. With regard to its contribution to the ailing humanity, Prof Mashoor Alam Shah mentioned that the hospital with a bed strength of 1,185 held provision for 27 in-patients units, 21 out-patients units and 21 special out-patient units.

Moreover during the 2004, the OPD attendance was said to have come to one million while the accident and emergency looked after 165,000 patients, 34,000 were admitted, some 24,000 surgeries were said to be performed, and approximately 10,000 deliveries were performed. -- APP