The Speaker National Assembly, Dr. Fehmida Mirza has called for making more investment in health institutions for producing good doctors while absence of community health had caused the outbreak of various diseases, like dengue fever, gastro-enteritis, tuberculosis, cholera etc.
She was addressing the 7th Annual Convocation of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro recently. She informed that public health services are being deemed inadequate, the cultural and social barriers are barring free access to basic health facilities. It is estimated to be available to only 55 percent of the population, which further decreased to 30 percent overall for maternal and child health.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Chief Minister was the chief guest on the occasion. The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Saghir Ahmed, Sindh Health Minister, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, Sindh Home Minister and Sindh Minorities Minister Dr. Mohan Lal.
She underlined the need of reducing prevalence of communicable diseases, address the inadequacies in the primary and secondary health services, removal of professional deficiencies, promotion of greater gender equality, bridging the nutrition gap, enabling the rural population to get quality treatment at their doorsteps, creating awareness regarding community health and teaching the children that prevention is better than cure.
Dr. Fehmida paying tribute to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, said that, she was the true leader of the people and a “Messiah,” who strived to stitch the oozing cuts of the nation and in doing so, breathed her last on the operation table.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Chief Minister on the occasion said that it was the priority of his government to bring the health system of the province at par with the WHO slogan of “Health for All.” He added that the Sindh government had increased spending in health and education sectors by 139 per cent in the Annual Development Programme.
Later, MBBS, BDS and postgraduate degrees were conferred on successful candidates.