LAHORE, Feb 4: Federal Health Minister Dr Abdul Malik Kasi has said that beds available at tehsil and district headquarters hospitals are not properly utilized while the tertiary care hospitals are compelled to bear unnecessary patient load.

Dr Kasi was talking to reporters after a meeting with the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (Punjab and NWFP) regional executive committee at a local hotel on Monday.

He said the provincial governments in collaboration with the federal government were now working to improve infrastructure, equipment as well as attendance of doctors and paramedical staff at THQ and DHQ hospitals to offer primary healthcare at doorsteps of the people living in the rural areas. He said at least six specialist doctors would be posted at each DHQ.

Answering a question, he said people had lost faith in the quality of the health delivery system at primary and secondary levels which forced people to visit tertiary care hospitals for even minor ailments.

Answering a question about the ban imposed on procedural practice by clinicians outside their respective institutions in the Punjab, Dr Kasi said the Punjab government had just started implementing the law which already existed but never implemented. He said the law said that doctors could do private practice at their residences while putting up small boards and paying commercial bills. Regarding the implementation of this law in other provinces, he said the implementation of a law was a provincial subject.

Answering a question that some senior doctors may resign from government service as a result of the ‘implementation’ of this law, he said the health department had already taken a stance that there was a lot of scholarship and talent in line to fill vacant positions.

Answering another question, he said the resignation of some senior doctors would not affect the credibility of government hospitals.

Answering a question about the foreseeable chaos in hospitals when private patients would occupy beds already very less for poor patients, Dr Kasi said the provincial health department should answer this crucial question and must develop plans to cope with the situation.

He, however, said the shifting of health delivery focus at primary and secondary levels would help lower the patient load in teaching hospitals. Rejecting the claim that no state-of-the-art electro-medical equipment available in government hospitals, he said there was a dire need to change the culture of ‘keeping’ government hospitals’ equipment out-of-order. He said that some 47,000 beds were available in government hospitals besides 4,000 beds in private hospitals all over the province.

The minister said that the federal government had injected some Rs2 billion extra funds into the health sector to fill the gap. He said the health ministry in collaboration with the respective provincial governments was also focusing on preventive aspects. He said the government had launched different immunization campaigns to control hepatitis, AIDS, tetanus and women health programme. He said the Global Alliance for Vaccination Immunization (GAVI) had agreed to give vaccine to prevent hepatitis for five years free of cost. He said the health ministry was launching hepatitis vaccination campaign in phases as it had no storage facility to receive the totally required vaccine in bulk. The minister, however, could not tell the volume of hepatitis patients in the country.

Answering a question, he said 105 polio cases were detected from all over the country last year and claimed that it would be eradicated by the end of this year. He said the health ministry had launched the tetanus control programme in 57 districts and women health programme in 20 districts including eight in the Punjab. With regard to the incidence of AIDS, the minister said that there were around two million high risk people in Pakistan. He said that there were around 6,000 AIDS patients including 1,500 people with HIV positive. He said the government had established 46 labs all over the country to offer free HIV test to masses.

About the drug prices, he said the federal government had recently increased prices by four per cent. He claimed that the cost of medicines in Pakistan was still very low as compared to the prices in India, Iran and Sri Lanka.

He also claimed that a majority of foreigners in Pakistan import medicines for themselves, saying that how quality medicines could be so cheap. As compared to India, he said that some 65 per cent medicines were cheap, while 35 per cent medicines were cheap in India. “The cheap medicines are being smuggled between the two countries,” he said.

Answering a question, he replied Iran could sell medicines at cheaper prices because it was oil exporting country. “When oil is found in Pakistan, we will also be able to offer subsidy to the people on drugs,” he added.

Earlier, speaking at the PPMA executive council meeting, Dr Kasi said all problems being faced by the pharmaceutical industry would soon be resolved on merit. He said the local pharmaceutical company progressed a lot and acquired the high quality technology.

PPMA Punjab-NWFP region chairman Najamul Hasan Jawa briefed the minister about the problems being faced by the industry.