Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Dr. Zafar Mirza said that a National Action Plan (NAP) in health sector was being planned with the coordination and consultation of the provinces to improve the health facilities. He said this while addressing a joint press briefing with Health Minister Punjab Yasmin Rashid, Health Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Dr. Najeeb Naqi recently in Islamabad.
Earlier the press briefing, a Meeting was held to discuss possibilities to bring maximum reforms in public sector hospitals.
Dr. Zafar Mirza further said that National Action Plan would be launched by next month to overcome the health issues. He said that the name of Pakistan Health and Population Strategic Ministerial Forum has been changed into the Inter Ministerial Health and Population Council. The council meeting would be arranged after every three months to review the performance and facilities in the health sector, he added. The council would take all provinces in consultation and its meetings would be held continuously in the provinces. The next meeting of the council would be held on September 19 in Quetta, he added.
The 18th amendment in the constitution had harmed many public health programmes including TB, HIV, Hepatitis B, C, Polio and Lady Health Workers Programme. The provinces would be given ownership to create sense of responsibility among them. He said the Federal government would announce special health package soon for the people of Balochistan. A major reforms process was underway in the hospitals. The provinces demanded financial support from the federal government for the uplift of health sector and the prime minister has assured to fulfill their demands.
Sharing the details of Finance Bill in the Parliament, he said that the changes could be brought in budget, and the more allocations could also be done in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). A committee has been constituted to oversee the matters of Poly Clinic and PIMS Hospitals, adding after few months the media will be invited to observe the major development in these hospitals.
He urged that health related issues are national level issues which should not be politicized. He urged that these challenges will have to resolve through consultation. Talking about the reduction in the prices of medicines, he said that the details of these medicines and their prices would be published in newspapers by this week. A phone number would also be given where the people would be able to complain about the pharmaceutical companies which were selling medicines at high prices, he informed. A proper National Medicines Policy being introduced under which only the legal pharmaceutical companies would be able to sell their medicines while illegal companies would be banned.
He informed that he will be Dr Zafar said that he will be visiting all provinces in next days to discuss the polio cases with provinces and the measures to be taken to control the same. With the efforts of the government, the polio cases would be controlled by next three years, he assured.
