KARACHI, Nov 25: Health experts have urged the government to start second shift of the out-patient departments in all government-owned hospitals in the country.

Speaking at a news conference here on Sunday they said a large number of the population has been deprived of health facilities in the government hospitals due to absence of afternoon OPD facilities.

They said the facilities and manpower were available in the government hospitals but there was a need to utilize it.

For this purpose, they suggested to mobilize the elected representatives under the new district government.

They suggested to emphasis on preventive health instead of spending on tertiary health care facilities.

In this regard, they said the public should be educated to take preventive health measures.

They suggested that the federal government should spend 6 per cent of the Gross National Product on health as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

To educate people on health issues and inform the health experts about new health policy, the Institute of Ethics and Culture has chalked out a series of 12 monthly programmes on various health topics.

Eminent experts would be invited to address these programmes, who would speak on various health related issues.

The first programme of the series would be held on Dec 11 on “Health Planning, Monitoring, Development and Evaluation.”

Sindh ministers for health and finance, Ahsan Ahmed and Dr Hafeez Shaikh respectively, would be invited to address the programme.—APP