The government would be launching 'Health TV' in 2010 costing Rs 20 million in a bid to inculcate awareness among the masses on health issues including prevention and cure of major life threatening diseases. The channel would serve as a best medium to create awareness among the masses on health issues and suggest ways and means to overcome them, said Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Federal Minster for Health while addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
He said the ministry is making all-out efforts to tackle the health issues that are directly and indirectly affecting the economy. He announced that the National Health Policy would be tabled before the Cabinet in its next meeting for the approval. He said the repeated use of syringes play vital role in increasing the incidence of Hepatitis B and C hence ban would be imposed on re-use of syringes and the product will be registered as drug.
He further informed media persons that the Ministry is presently working on a comprehensive legislation on the registration of syringes. Moreover, the Transplantation of Human Organs Bill was not cleared by the Senate, now a summary will be sent to the Prime Minister to request the President for issuance of van Ordinance, he added.
For the registration of Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic drugs the Ministry is devising a Drug Legislation Bill and creating a Drug Regulatory Authority bringing the surgical equipment in its ambit. Jakhrani further announced that on the special directives of the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani the PC1 of the 'PM Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme' has been prepared and in June 2010, Rs 24 billion would be released in this regard. Of this Rs 12 billion would be given to the provinces.
Global Fund would donate $173 million to Pakistan for the eradication of TB. The minister said that pictorial warning on the cigarette packs would be initiated from May 2010. He said National Health Survey has been initiated in the country and after gathering data special steps would be taken to tackle the most alarming health issues.
Sharing the details of investigation on the death of Huma Waseem, wife of former cricket team captain Waseem Akram, the minister said the report has been submitted by a three-member team of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) to the Secretary Health. He said that Waseem Akram has contacted him in this regard.
Answering question regarding TB, Jakhrani said that the ministry has nearly achieved the MDGs of TB control programme in the country. He said the monitoring system of all the hospitals would be improved and upgraded to provide better services to the ailing population.