- Only two polio cases have been reported this year
Despite an elaborate and extensive health infrastructure, the health care delivery suffer from some key issues like an increase in population growth, uneven distribution of health professionals, insufficient funding and limited access to quality health care services.
According to the Economic Survey 2016-17, the number of doctors has increased to 195,896, dentists 18,333, nurses 99,228 and hospital beds 123,394 in the country during 2016-17 compared to 184,711 doctors, 16,652 dentists, 94,766 nurses and 119,548 hospital beds last year.
The population and health facilities ratio worked out 997 persons per doctors, 10,658 persons per dentist and 1,584 persons per hospital bed. It was 1,038 persons per doctor, 11,513 per dentist and availability of one bed for 1,604 persons in 2015-16.
The government performed well in reining in polio cases, as according to WHO, in Pakistan only two polio cases have been reported this year till April 25 against 9 cases recorded during same period last year and the country is almost close to polio eradication, indicating that immunisation programme is heading in right direction.
The survey showed that at the provincial level, KP has recently enacted Medical Teaching Institutions Act, Injured Persons Medical Aid Act, Child Nutrition Act. The Sindh and Punjab governments have already established Health Care Commissions and have devised health strategies that outline priority programmes.
Besides, the federal government is also implementing other programmes such as National Maternal and Child Health Programme, Malaria, TB and HIV/ Aids Control Programme. These programmes have made a significant impact in improving health.
Moreover, the survey revealed that deaths from tuberculosis have been declining, while child and maternal mortality rates since 2007 continued to improve.
According to the survey, currently, there are 1,201 hospitals, 5,802 dispensaries, 5,518 basic health units and 731maternity and child health centres in Pakistan as compared to 1,172 hospitals, 5,695 dispensaries, 5,478 basic health units and 733 maternity and child health centres in the same period of last year.
During the last year, 7 million children were immunised and 21 million packets of ORS were distributed.
For the current year, a total outlay for the health sector is budgeted at Rs145.97 billion which included Rs37.5 billion for development and Rs108.5 billion for current expenditure showing an increase of 9 percent over last year.
The caloric intake per person has been estimated 2485 per day in 2016-17 showing an increase of 0.5 percent over previous year.
However, the health spending is slow, but persistently rising, as the country is spending 0.5 to 0.8 percent of its GDP on health over the last 10 years. These percentages are less than the WHO benchmark of at least 6 percent of GDP required to provide basic and life-saving services.
During 2015-16, total expenditure increased by 13 percent over 2014-15, and during the current fiscal year (July-March) 2016-17, the expenditure remains at 145.97 billion showing an increase of 9 percent over the same period of last year. According to world Bank latest report, currently, Pakistan’s per capita health spending is US $ 36.2 which is below than the WHO’s low-income countries benchmark of US$ 86.
