ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations, Tuesday, was informed that the health authorities have received a total of $1.10 billion in funds from Global Fund for the control of various diseases since the drive was started.
The committee meeting which was held here under the chairmanship of Senator Humayun Khan Mohmand was informed by the joint secretary Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations that the Global Fund provided these funds to check HIV/AIDS and TB control programme.
Officials said that Pakistan despite being the host country, cannot conduct campaigns against HIV/AIDS and TB after the cancellation of “Additional Safeguard Policy” (APS) and the government was trying to restore "ASP".
The officials said that Radio was running a very effective awareness campaign and for the first time awareness campaign has reached 150 million people. Officials further said that community care centres are being built for HIV/AIDS patients so that these people stay in the same community.
The special secretary to the Ministry of Health said there is no screening for HIV during blood transfusions, apart from that, the medical condition of Pakistanis who are returning home from abroad after being deported is not even checked.
Last year, about 26,000 Pakistanis came to Pakistan after extradition and none of them were screened. He suggested that "without medical condition/screening Pakistan should not accept any deportee as many deportees are HIV positive”.
Officials of the Ministry of Health informed the panel that in the past 10 years, Pakistan has received $460 million by the Global Fund of which most of the funds earmarked for TB eradication. The committee members expressing serious concern said that the TB control program has received a huge chunk of global funds but instead of a significant reduction in TB cases, the cases are on the rise.
Joint Secretary Ministry of National Health Services informed the panel that "Global Fund has donated 26 vehicles to Balochistan, but nobody knows where those vehicles are”, adding that the ministry has taken up the matter with the chief secretary Balochistan.
In response to Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi's question, the authorities said that 118 HIV cases have been reported in Islamabad during the last 10 months.
The officials said that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was the only public sector health facility providing treatment to HIV/AIDs patients and there is only one diagnostic machine but patients are visiting the facility from across the Potohar region.
The joint secretary said that very soon the ministry is to launch the HIV-related APP on the pattern of WHO, after which, the reports can also be seen in the WHO dashboard.
"The Prime University of Nursing Sciences and Technology Islamabad Bill, 2022" presented by Senator Naseebullah Bazai was postponed by the committee due to the absence of the movers. The chairman committee said that the progress is not visible. The chairman of the committee said that if necessary in the future, they will put this bill on the agenda again.
"The Pakistan Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill 2022" presented by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed in the committee was unanimously approved after a long discussion. The chairman committee said that the concerns of the Pharmacy Council will be monitored by the committee members.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) president, while briefing the committee regarding the appointments of council members, said that he has recently assumed the charge, the council has held an initial meeting and the next meeting is expected in a few days.
In response to the questions from committee members, he said that the appointments of the council members have been made on merit while the appointment is also done by the prime minister himself. After this, the chairman committee asked for another briefing from the PMDC officials about the appointments of the council members in the next meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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