Govt Successfully Completes Uniform Health Survey: Saira Tarrar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd May, 2018 ) :Minister for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarrar Tuesday said the government has successfully completed uniform health survey to compile an accurate data on the health services and shortcomings.

Addressing a press conference, she said this data will be helpful for coming governments to make plans in the health sector. She said the government has also introduced first ever Health Vision in the country.

She said the ministry has also been working on a health document that included performance of the ministry during last five years to improve the health service delivery system besides covering other aspects of health sector to serve the country's people.

She said an amount of Rs10 billion has been allocated for addressing the issue of nutrition, being faced by the country's women and children. She added a unique strategy has been made to control the further devastation from the issue.

She said keeping in view the increasing number of hepatitis cases in the country, the ministry has launched hepatitis strategic framework under which special measures have been taken to control the disease and ensuring medical cover to the patients.

She said the hepatitis medicines available in the country's markets are comparatively at cheapest rates against rest of the world, as 12 local manufacturers have been allowed to manufacture the hepatitis medicines locally.

She said the ministry has also introduced the health vision on human resource and development (HRD) to know the exact requirement of medical practitioners, nursing staff and other medical and para medical staff in the country.

The minister said besides covering other areas in health sector, ensuring free treatment of TB patients also remained top priority of the government during last five years as Pakistan stands at five in high risk TB countries.

She said the ministry has successfully implemented its strategy to meet the target set for routine immunization of children to protect them from crippling diseases. She added due to effective planning the coverage of routine immobilization was increased.

She said the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has remained very successful and the performance of EPI centers is impressive during five years. She added not a single allegation is leveled on efficiency or use of funds in the programme, which shows the credibility of the Federal government.

The minister said the government has successfully completed the second phase of Prime Minister National Health Programme with an allocation of Rs 34 billion to ensure medical cover of poor, deprived and destitute people of the country.

She said due to successful running of this programme, the health indicators were improved. She said under this programme, people from all underprivileged areas of four provinces have been provided with better health facilities including Mardan, Lasbella, Loralai, Noshera, Sajawal, Thatta and so on.

She said the government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) has tried its level best to invest in social sector for improving the health and education sector to improve the relevant indicators. She said the government has fulfilled its all promises made with the country's people and asked the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to do practical work for welfare of people rather issuing negative statements.