Government-run hospitals in Sindh province are a terrible example of poor governance. Billions of rupees are allocated for these hospitals every year, but the corruption mafia ensures this money goes to their pockets instead of being used for welfare of poor patients, a workshop was told on Tuesday.
Chairperson of Sindh Human Rights Commission Justice (r) Majida Razvi expressing concern over the terrible situation in the major government hospitals and jails in Sindh said the provincial government should make serious efforts to ensure provision of essential services to residents and minimise human rights violation in the province.
She was speaking at closing session of a two-day workshop on “Human Rights Compliance: Monitoring and Report” organised by Democracy Reporting International at a local hotel.
Victoria Stewart-Jolley conducted the workshop. Dr Shahida Rehmani, MNA attended the certificate distribution ceremony.
Justice (r) Majida Razvi said she visited government hospitals in Sindh, where there was a shortage of doctors and essential life saving medicines. She highlighted the role of human rights defenders and said that given the challenges, faced by Pakistani society they needed to have trained human rights activists who not only advocate for human rights, but provide immediate relief and assistance to victims of human rights violations.
She said that Sindh was the first province, which enacted the human rights protection law and established a Sindh Human Rights Commission, which was the first of its kind of institution in the country. However, she said the province government needed to strengthen the commission so it could work as watchdog body to monitor the human rights situation in the province.
She said the commission could play its role in assisting the provincial and national government in fulfilling international human rights commitments under the UN mechanisms.
Dr Shahida Rehmani said that Pakistan’s parliament also has a greater role in ensuring protection of human rights. In her view the changing global scenario has necessitated that Pakistan puts in place proper institutional mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights.
