Shah announced of increasing stipend of doctors at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences to Rs12,000 from Rs6,000 and provincial Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed declared a grant of Rs500,000 for the university.
She called for reduction in communicable diseases, addressing inadequacies in primary and secondary health care and filling of professional deficiencies. She said that doctors should be ensured job security, better standards and incentives for making them work wholeheartedly in remote areas.
She was speaking as the chief guest at 7th convocation of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro here Saturday. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was the guest of honour and Health Minister and also the Pro-Chancellor of the university Dr Saghir Ahmed presided over the convocation. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, a former graduate of the institution also attended the convocation.
The Speaker underlined the need for providing job security and safe working environment to doctors and nurses. She said that allocation of generous scholarships was needed to enable young doctors pursue higher studies.
She said that Pakistan today was crippled by economic crunch and social disorder. “It’s a country with too many mouths to feed and too little hands to earn and it bears the high burden of poverty related communicable diseases, exacerbated by malnutrition and maternal risks”, she said.
She said that only 55 per cent of the population had access to health facilities. “Statistics get grimmer and grimmer as we move on, invariably making challenge for democratically elected government more complicated and yet more urgent to be addressed”, she said.
She said that the government was striving hard to take up these enormous challenges but it was necessary to keep the noble profession of doctors and nurses at highest podium of our social standards.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in his speech said that it was the government’s priority to put in place a system which conforms to WHO standards.
He said that the Sindh government had increased spending in health and education sectors by 139 per cent in the Annual Development Programme. He promised to provide 10 buses soon as per the VC’s demand.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed urged the chief minister to give due attention to demands raised by the university’s VC.