Federal Minister for Health Muhammad Naseer Khan has announced launching of a comprehensive campaign against spurious drugs and quackery within next few weeks. While addressing oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Punjab office bearers here on Monday Naseer said the campaign against pharmaceutical manufactures engaged in spurious drugs would be launched.
The Senate Committee on Health was considering making one-year service in rural area compulsory for fresh medical graduates prior to awarding degree. The proposal was matured and one senior doctor would monitor at least 25 young doctors.
"The doctors must be given some attractive incentives for posting in rural areas. Iran and India have already enforced this idea, which produced positive results," he maintained.
While emphasising the need for effective implementation on health related ordinances, the Minister vowed to ensure implementation of anti-smoking ordinance. He also announced that first time in the history of Pakistan, PMA would be part and parcel of federal and provincial governments in decision making process and they would also be consulted in preparation of health policy. "We have also consulted the doctors' association while preparing budget for the year 2005-06," he added.
He urged the doctors to serve the poor community, as money was not so important and it should not be at the cost of peoples' smiles. "The Muslims, presently have billion of dollars but unfortunately they do not have respect in the world. In most of the cases, the doctors provide medicines free of cost to the influential but not to the poor patients and this act on their part defames the government. The government has substantial funds to provide free of cost medicines in all emergency but the doctors' community should work honestly," he maintained.
According to him, in the financial budget 2005-06, the government's allocation for health sector has been significantly increased to Rs 10.5 billion against previous allocation of Rs 6.1 billion. The private sector should play its role in providing health insurance to the people at viable cost.
"We are also holding national health conference to devise uniform and national healthcare policy in the country, while the inter-provincial health ministers' conference would be held in the mid of July, this year," he revealed.
While stressing the need for facility of safe blood transfusion in the country, he said the government had allocated Rs 2.5 billion to check chronic diseases in Sindh.
He asked the PMA to come forward for checking unholy practice of selling of kidneys because it were poor who donate or sell their kidneys. "Only the women are compelled or induced to donate their organs for male members. According to the statistics, out of 1,000 cases of organs' donation, 800 women provided their organs," he added.
Responding to the demand for construction of PMA House in Islamabad, he assured all out support for that cause. About other demands, he asked the office bearers to submit their recommendations in written so that those could be resolved on priority basis.
Meanwhile, he distributed shields among the outgoing PMA office bearers. PMA outgoing president Dr Dil Muhammad Mirza, new president Dr Syed Muhammad Ali also addressed the ceremony.