Doctors Seek Meaningful Increase In Health Budgets

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2017 ) : Senior gynecologists and obstetricians have sought meaningful increase in the national and provincial health budgets during fiscal year 2017-2018.

Addressing a conference organised by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Pakistan (SOGP) they also demanded easy availability and access to family planning supplies across the country.

Registering their serious concern about the current maternal mortality ratio of 276 per 100,000 live births, the experts sought urgency in strengthening of health, family planning, education, and women development departments across the country.

All these were registered to be inter-linked and could play an important role in reducing maternal mortality. Seeking improved training and salary structure for doctors and midwives, speakers also strongly recommended need to promote gender equality and making education for girls mandatory (upto intermediate level).

It was emphasized that since passage of 18th amendment, health has turned to be a provincial matter therefore provincial governments must take responsibility and join hands with SOGP to reduce maternal mortality.

The session was addressed by President SOGP, Professor Al-Fareed Zafar, SOGP Secretary General, Professor Nusrat Shah and others. Speakers reiterated that socioeconomic factors (poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness about danger signs of pregnancy, lack of antenatal care, malnutrition, undernutrition, lack of family planning services and non availability of trained birth attendants) were equally responsible for maternal deaths.

These factors were said to be closely associated with medical causes of maternal mortality e.g. hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders and sepsis during pregnancy. It was regretted that majority of women die due to lack of access to timely and good quality healthcare services.