KARACHI, April 30: The decline of the health sector in the country can be gauged from the fact that more than 30,000 women die annually in Pakistan during childbirth, which means that every three hours one woman is falling victim to unsafe maternity practices.

The situation gets more explained through the fact that more than 450 health units in Sindh alone are not functioning, while in Karachi out of 43 maternity homes, only three are operating, which clearly reflects a lack of effective surveillance by the health managers.

These horrifying figures were presented by the speakers at a seminar on ‘Patients rights’ organized by the Help Line Trust on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, former Sindh health minister Maj Gen Ahsan Ahmad said that we live in a society where people at the helm of health affairs, both in the public and private sector, were least concerned with the basic human rights of the people, and the public, on the other hand, never bothers about its responsibilities.

He opined that a mere charter of patient’s rights would be ineffective without participation and readiness of the public.

Dr Sher Shah Syed, Secretary-General, Pakistan Medical Association, pointed out that the process of accountability did not exist in the health sector, which was contributing to its decline, hitting the underprivileged segment of the population.

Referring to the scenario in medical education, he said, a considerable number of medical colleges and universities were operating in four to five bedroom houses and could not be expected to provide quality education, while the Pakistan medical and dental council (PMDC), which was responsible for monitoring the standard of medical education in the country, had turned a blind eye to the situation.

Dr Asim Hussain, Chancellor of the Ziauddin Medical University, While pointing out inadequate allocation of funds for the health sector termed it unsatisfactory and said with the current allocation for this sector, any improvement would be difficult.

Prof DS Akram, Paediatrician of the Civil Hospital Karachi said that in most of the developed and underdeveloped countries, the legislation to protect patients’ rights existed and an overwhelming majority of the population was benefiting from it.

Dr Abu Faizi, Prof of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University Hospital, and Hamid Maker, Chairman, Help Liner Trust, also spoke.—PPI