Health experts at a conference have demanded the federal and provincial governments to allocate four percent of the total fiscal budget for health sector, to ensure best healthcare facilities. They also called for strict implementation of anti-tobacco laws to discourage people from use of tobacco for protecting health.
Speaking at a press conference at press club here on Thursday, Professor Dr Muhammad Subhan, provincial president of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) said the situation was quit dismal regarding the provision of better healthcare facilities and health reforms in the country.
Of the total fiscal budget, he said the government was spending only 0.42 per cent on health sector, which he termed a disappointing situation. He suggested it is dire need to allocate at least four percent of the total budget for health sector. He said the spending should be increased for all health facilities, vaccination programs, particularly to maximum allocations for combating with fatal diseases.
Flanked by Central president of PIMA, Professor Dr Sohail Akhtar, vice president Professor Dr Muhammad Fazal Mian, General Secretary Dr Abdul Aziz Memoon, and others, he said the ratio of fatal diseases has considerably increased over past a decade, particularly in the country and generally across the world. He stressed the steps should be taken to provide all facilities for effectively combating with diabetes, high-blood pressure, hepatitis, Tuberculosis and other deadly diseases.
The PIMA president said that tobacco smoking is currently a biggest challenge, as it major cause among other reasons for morality of curable diseases. He said ratio of tobacco smoking was growing with the passage of time, owing to ineffective implementation of anti-tobacco laws in the country, which should be enforced strictly, he demanded.
He asked the government to impose complete ban on tobacco smoking on public places, along with restriction of selling of cigarette among underage people/group, particularly ban in educational institutions.
Dr Subhan said there was acute shortage of anti-tuberculosis medicines along with other necessary life saving drugs during last few months, which is dangerous for the poor patients. Besides, he asked that the government negotiating for determination of medicines rates with pharmaceutical companies, others issues should also be addressed on priority basis to save poor patients from suffering, in wake differences among the government and pharma firms.
Despite the de-centralisation of institutions, he said the federal government and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is still empowered to authorise to regularisation of Medical and Dental colleges, and medical institutions. He said a mushroom growth was seen in establishment of new medical colleges without any requirements during last a decade. He expressed the hope that situation would get improve with reconstitution of PMDC body, while he also demanded of the government to devise code of conduct He also demanded the government to take proactive steps for protection and safety of doctors' community along with attractive salary package under a comprehensive service structure for them across the country.
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