Injured persons: Senate seeks legal opinion on immediate emergency treatment

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations has sought a detailed response from the legal department of the Ministry of Interior over providing emergency medical treatment to injured persons without delay on a priority basis, without adhering to medico-legal formalities or demanding payment prior to administering emergency medical treatment.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations which met here on Thursday under the Chairmanship of Senator Dr Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, while extensively debating on the private member bill titled, “The Injured Persons (Medical Aid) (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Prof Mehar Taj Roghani said that saving the lives of any person should be the top priority of public and private medical institutions. The panel decided to delay further discussion on the bill till relevant departments are not providing detailed briefing on the subject.

The bill states that no hospital or doctor shall demand payment for providing emergency medical treatment or other necessary medical assistance. The chairman of the committee deferred the matter for further consideration, anticipating the bill’s passage in the next sitting.

The committee also discussed the private member bill titled, “The Pakistan Emergency Treatment Coverage Programme Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Sania Nishter to get free emergency healthcare in hospitals ensuring access to immediate medical assistance for safeguarding public health and safety. The bill was deferred for further consideration in collaboration with the ministry.

In addition, the committee also deliberated on the private member bill titled, “The Islamabad Capital Territory Protection of Breast-Feeding and Child Nutrition Bill, 2023.” Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, the bill’s mover, emphasized that Pakistan’s high infant mortality rate necessitates educating young women about the adverse effects of commercial milk.

She said that the concept of breastfeeding is widely accepted and strongly advised by paediatricians worldwide. She further added that the primary objective of the bill is to persuade young women towards breastfeeding and prevent formula milk from affecting our children. The ministry agreed to the bill with few amendments and consequently, the committee deferred the deliberation for a few amendments.

The matter of point of public importance regarding, “The Alarming numbers of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Rates in the Country,” raised by Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, was also discussed in the meeting. Senator Roghani, feeling dissatisfied with the brief submitted by the ministry, said that the questions mainly revolve around the funding sources and expenditure proportions dedicated to maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH).

The advisor on nutrition, Dr Tausif, briefed the committee that as per National Health Accounts (NHA) 19-20, total health expenditure in Pakistan in the fiscal year 2019-20 is estimated at Rs1,466 billion. She mentioned that this shows an increase of Rs269 billion over the fiscal year 2017-18, which is a 21.6 per cent increase in nominal terms, as it includes inflation of healthcare goods and services.

It was further explained that 39.8 per cent of the total health expenditure in Pakistan is made by the general government. Out of the total general government health expenditure, 14.9 per cent is incurred by the federal government, whereas, 62 per cent accrue from its civilian part, and 38 per cent from its military setup.

Additionally, around 59.7 per cent of health expenditures are made through the private sector, out of which 88.6 per cent is out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures by private households. Furthermore, it was mentioned that development partners/donor organisations have a 0.5 per cent share in the total health expenditures of Pakistan for the FY2019-20. The matter was deferred for further consideration until the next meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023