Pakistan Medical Association’s Sindh chapter hopes allocation of a minimum three percent of GDP for health sector in the provincial budget for fiscal year 2012-13.
“Ideally it should be six percent of the total GDP, however, in the given situation we hope that it would be at-least two and a half percent to three percent of the GDP,” Dr. Samrina Hashmi, President PMA -Sindh told APP Friday.
PMA -Sindh’s President said the government must also ensure that 75% budgetary allocation for health sector is spent to strengthen primary healthcare instead of the rampant trend, focussed on tertiary care.
“Focus on primary healthcare would pave way for prevention of diseases and also help us achieve millennium development goals (MDGs 04 and 05) by 2015,” she said.
“Setting right our priorities will immediately improve our mortality and morbidity rates,” she said.
Dr Samrina urged the policy makers to realize that construction of impressive and huge buildings and procurement of hi-tech gadgets are not the answer to the healthcare needs of masses.
“Small, simple but efficient steps are needed and must be supplemented by efficient management of available resources,” said the PMA president. In reply to a question about tax imposed on surgical goods, she said locally produced tools and other items must be promoted while heavy tax on imported items particularly luxury items was very much needed.
Doctors announce 2-hour token strike from Monday
Doctors have announced to start a token strike of two hours from May 21 in each and every hospital of Hyderabad City, Jamshoro, Karachi, Larkana, Sukkar, Sanghar, Tando Mohammed Kkan, Thatta, Badin and Khairpur. This decision of PMA Sindh members, including doctors from Civil Hospitals functional in different cities of the province, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Lyari General Hospital units was announced during a protest meeting held at Karachi Press Club on Thursday evening. Dr Samrina Hashmi, President, PMA Sindh, addressing her colleagues said Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) needed to play its role and provide insurance facility to the doctors serving day and night in different hospitals. Dr Samrina mentioned that known neurosurgeon Professor Dr Aftab Qureshi of LUMHS Hyderabad, was kidnapped a few days ago near Karachi when he was on his way to Hyderabad. In Karachi on the same day Dr Faisal Iftikhar was also kidnapped from Gulshan-e-Hadeed, she said mentioning that Dr Faisal is the sixth doctor kidnapped from Gulshan-e-Hadeed. PMA – Sindh President said that houses of Professor Fasih Hashmi, Dr. Irshad Shah and Dr. Zahid Shaikh were also looted only a few days ago in Hyderabad. “The police was contacted for action but so far no results are seen,” she said.
