Federal Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan has reiterated the government commitment to ensure equitable distribution of national health budget among all citizens of the country. Addressing the 42nd Annual Symposium of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center here on Monday, the minister said the government, equally committed to realise its responsibility towards health care needs of masses, had already made significant increase in the national health budget during last few years.
Nasir Khan, current President of World Health Organisation (WHO), reminded that 90 percent of the world health budget worth US 36 billion dollars was assessed to be utilised by a mere 10 percent of the world population while the remaining 90percent of the cited amount was utilised by 90 percent of the world population.
According to him, all the countries attending the very meeting expressed their absolute agreement with the concern raised by the WHO President and assured to make their respective contribution.
Pakistan health budget now constituted a significant portion of the Gross National Product (GNP) coming to around 98 percent, he said reminding that the federal health ministry fully conscious of the growing pressure on the facility had also raised annual budgetary allocation for the JPMC.
It was only this fiscal year, 2004 and 2005 that Rs 700 million was earmarked for the JPMC and the amount would be further increased in 2004-06, the minister said.
JPMC Director Professor Mashoor Alam and his team of doctors were advised to prepare P.C One of the renovation and uplift projects envisaged by them and duly despatch to the federal health ministry for approval.
Responding to the plea adopted by JPMC Scientific Committee of the 42nd Annual Symposium Chairman Professor Masood Sheikh, the Minister acknowledge significance of research by medical scientists particularly in the back drop of the fact that a considerably high morbidity and mortality rates in the country were attributable to health conditions which are largely preventable.
The fact that water borne and blood borne diseases caste their hefty toll on masses, couldn't be overlooked, he said.
In this regard, the Federal Health Minister mentioned the government had already passed a Safe Blood Transfusion Bill while another on Cadaver Organ Donation was soon to be tabled before the National Assembly.
The Federal Health Minister, on the occasion also mentioned the law paving the way for urgent admission and intervention into instances related to Medico Legal cases adding that it was the Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro who played a role in the legislation providing necessary relief to the masses.
Referring to his experience as the Sindh Governor, the Senate Chairman mentioned that under all conditions of emergency the JPMC was registered to make its due contribution in meeting the situation and also emerging as a Center of Excellence.
Soomro maintained that it was high time that players concerned examine the limiting factors and explore possible rectification, adding that good clinical and basic research would require an efficiently running administration and hospital.
The Senate Chairman responding to the presentation made by the Chairman, Scientific Committee of the Symposium, Professor Shaikh observed that the recruitment and promotion criteria of the PMDC and Health Ministry should be concordant and only merit should prevail.
He also agree that research could not be possible without adequate library support and non existent provision for internet access, the suggested to the Health Ministry to consider possibility of establishing a fully equipped state of art medical library in the government sector.
JPGMC Director Professor Mashoor Alam Shah, in his welcome address reminding the ever growing pressure on the hospital said it not only served the patients from Karachi but those from across the country.
Encroachment of the JPMC land emerged as a major problem, he said mentioning that the JPMC spread over an area of 75 acres was exposed to the menace of encroachment too as 20 acres of it had been encroached upon.
He also referred to post graduate medical training offered to local doctors. Training is provided for FCPS, MS, MD, MCPS, DGO and Resident Medical Officers 369 Medical Officers of SMC, 150 of Federal, 235 students of General Nursing, 53 Ward Administration, 46 of Teaching and Administration, 10 of Community Health, 10 of Mental Health Nursing and 12 in the Basic nursing and 200 students for B.Sc (Physiotherapy) were said to be trainees registered with wide range of programs offered by the JPMC.
Clinical Training and examination for M.Phil students is also provided by Basic Medical Science Institute, an institute associated with the JPMC.
With regard to its contribution to the ailing humanity, Professor Mashoor Alam Shah mentioned the hospital with strength of 1,185-bed hold provision for 27 inpatients units, 21 outpatients units and 21 special out patient units.
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