Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari has urged the private sector to come forward and join hands with public sector to improve the life of the common man. The chairman of the Senate expressed these views while addressing the gathering at inaugural ceremony of Al-Nafees Medical College and Hospital set up by Isra Islamic Foundation here on Thursday.
The Chairman said that the state of the art healthcare facilities and treatment provided at the welfare hospital would certainly go a long way in addressing health-related needs of deserving people in Islamabad and its suburbs. "Working for the welfare of human beings is an arduous but soul-soothing task which yields benefits here and also hereafter," he said. He said that Isra Islamic Foundation was treading the right path and other private sector organisations must follow the suit. Isra is not only working in the education, but also undertaking laudable projects in the health and welfare sector, he said.
Talking about the devolution of subjects like education and health to the provinces after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the chairman said that it was imperative for the provinces, to carefully evaluate the need for health sector reforms to make the healthcare system truly responsive to the needs of the people. "At this crucial juncture, both the public and private sector need to combine synergies to address the challenges of affordability, quality and availability of healthcare," he said.
Bokhari reiterated that due to a number of factors, including dearth of resources and a rapid increase in population, it had become increasingly difficult for the public sector to cater for all. This vacuum could be adequately filled by the private sector, he said. The chairman, however, cautioned that health delivery whether it was in the public or private sector was a great vocation, and not a business. He called upon the private sector to accord special care when venturing healthcare to ensure that the deserving and unprivileged people were fully catered despite their diminished affordability, he said.