AMTF demands raise in health sector's budget

Executive Director of Afzaal Memorial Thalassaemia Foundation (AMTF) and CSR activist for eradication of thalassaemia from Pakistan, Ateequr Rehman has urged the government to increase allocation for health in the financial budget.
"Maximum allocation in the budget for health services should be government's priority," he said, lamenting reduced allocation for health sector. He said it is discouraging that in the budget FY 2019-20, government has slashed the budget for health sector earmarking Rs 11.05 billion that is less than Rs 13.99 billion that was the revised budget of FY2018-19.
AMTF executive director also cited the government has earmarked Rs 463 million for public health services against Rs 465 million of revised budget FY19. "A sick man cannot donate blood; therefore, better health services should be ensured for a healthy society enabling them to regularly donate blood," he said.
However, he lauded Sehat Sahulat programme as quite encouraging. He said the recipient of this scheme is entitled free of charge healthcare to indoor health care services worth Rs 720,000 per year from any of the 270 selected hospitals across Pakistan.
"Such schemes should be transparent and practical, we badly need to explore and accelerate such initiatives for a healthy and blood donating Pakistan," he said.
Ateequr Rehman further said that since 2004, every year on 14th June countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). It aims to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood. This year, WHO's host country for World Blood Donor Day 2019 is Rwanda.
He urged WHO to select Pakistan as the host country for World Blood Donor Day.
"On this Blood Donor Day, a country like Pakistan having such uncontrolled population, can we pledge that we will donate blood to save precious lives of thousands of thalassaemic children because those who are born by mistake of their parents have full right to live." He concluded that blood is the Lifeline of thalassaemic and they need Blood Transfusion at intervals.