KARACHI, Oct 14 (APP):Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Media Dr. Musadik Malik here on Saturday said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif opened the doors of private hospitals for poorest of the poor under PM’s National Health Program, however, Sindh refused to participate in the scheme.
Talking to media on the sidelines of 5th National and 2nd
International Conference, “Quality, Safety and Outcome: A Paradigm Shift in Pharmacy, he said despite all odds federal government has decided to bear the hundred percent cost of the federal health cards in Sindh.
“These cards were issued in the districts of Tharparkar and other remote areas of Sindh under the PM’s National Health Program,” said the Special Assistant to PM.
He reiterated that although health is a provincial subject yet
federal government is willing to assist Sindh government in provision of better healthcare facilities to people of the province.
Dr. Musadik Malik said although 60 percent of the budget of the country goes to the provinces for provision of basic facilities like health, education and municipal services yet some of the provinces were not working upto the expectations of the people.
“Federal government is ready to assist the provincial governments in improving healthcare facilities for the sake of people,” he said Dr. Malik said federal government was already doing a lot for the people of Sindh from constructing Green Line bus project to helping Sindh in coal mining, wind power projects and many other sectors.
It can do a lot more for the people of Sindh on the request of the provincial government, he said and hoped that provincial government would perform better and strive hard to improve health
facilities to lower the disease burden in the province.
To a query regarding Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, he said both the
sons of former Prime Minister were not politicians and independent
citizens who had their businesses abroad and it was on their own to decide when to arrive in Pakistan and face the courts.
“But Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are appearing before the courts despite illness of Kulsoom Nawaz Sahiba, who is facing a serious illness and needs complete support of her family,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the conference as chief guest, Dr. Musadik
Malik, a pharmacist by qualification spoke about advancements in the
field of science and technology.
“Average of human beings is expected to rise many, many times in
the years to come as lab rates were living three times more of their
average age while tape worms were living 6-7 times more of their
average age in the labs, which shows the advancements in the field of
life sciences, health and medicines,” he said.
Dr. Malik said in the years to come, human organs would be
regrown, people would be communicating without any language and
medium, babies would be designed as per human aspirations and there
would be engineered human beings and cyborg.
The question is, are we ready for these advancements, he said and
urged young pharmacists, doctors and scientists to pace up with the
growing advancements in the field of science and technology,
especially in the area of medicines.
He said pharmacists and doctors must be on safe board in
particular context of patient safety and strive to alleviate their
sufferings instead of looking into the economy of these interventions.
The Conference organized by the Pakistan Society of Health System
Pharmacists (PSHP) was attended by a large number of senior doctors,
healthcare professionals, CEOs and Medical Directors of Public and
Private Hospitals, government functionaries, representatives of
pharmaceutical industry and pharmacists.
Key speakers of the day long moot included Prof. Dr. Henri R.
Manasse from University of Illinois, Chicago United Sates and Ms
Jacqueline Surugue from France spoke on various aspects of drug
safety, patient safety and importance of pharmacists in a healthcare
system.
Director General Health, Pakistan and President of Pakistan
Pharmacy Council Dr. Asad Hafeez said federal government was
establishing a Federal Healthcare Commission in coming days which
would regulate hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies in the federal
capital territory.
Federal cabinet has already approved the constitution of the said
healthcare commission.
“A bill in this regard is expected to be presented in the next
session of the Parliament for approval,” he said mentioning that
Punjab Healthcare Commission is already functioning while Sindh’s
Commission is in the advance stages of becoming functional.
To a query, he deplored that thousands of pharmacies were
functioning without qualified pharmacists despite strict regulations
in this regard and vowed that Pakistan Pharmacy Council would
recommend to the regulators to take stock of the situation and create
patient environment in the country.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) DRAP Dr. Muhammad Aslam said drug
regulatory authority was working with the pharmaceutical industry to
minimize medication errors.
He appreciated that the conference was a great milestone where
all stakeholders had been invited to discuss patient safety, drug
safety and all related issues.
He claimed that new laws and regulations had been introduced
under which over pricing was a serious offence while jail terms and
heavy fines were being imposed on people selling spurious drugs.
PSHP President Abdul Latif Shaikh said half a million people die
in Pakistan due to medication errors and hoped that this conference
would help in learning from these mistakes and reducing patient
mortality due to such fatal errors.