Health issues and media

After 18th Amendment, health department was devolved to provinces, but they are yet to fully own it

At a recent workshop conducted by independent charity Save the Children in Islamabad, horrifying statistics were shared by experts about child deaths. They claimed that around 352,000 children die before reaching the age of five every year in the country. It is not only shocking but also an eye-opener for the health officials, who unabashedly issue statements, claiming everything is good on the health front. It was also discussed that Pakistan has the highest rate of stillbirths in the world, leading to the deaths of 28,000 mothers every year.

The main thrust of the discussion was that the health issue was not being properly reported nor is it given space in the media, especially in electronic media, which is ‘preoccupied’ with publicity gimmick stories.

After the 18th Amendment, the health department was devolved to provinces, but they are yet to fully own it and the overall health situation seems to be in disarray at national, provincial and local levels. The PML-N government in its manifesto, had promised to increase the health budget to four per cent of the national GDP, but unfortunately it has failed to utilise the one per cent allocated health budget. Lack of political will, bureaucratic hurdles, general apathy on the part of the health officials, untrained and insufficient lady health workers, lack of awareness at the public level are some of the causes, which are contributing to the crippling health issues in the country. The serious health issue can only be brought to the limelight by the media, which has the power to shake and influence the so-called policy-makers, whose callous and irresponsible attitude has brought all the things to this stage, where polio, dengue, and other curable diseases have all been pervading.

Effective immunisation campaigns, improved nutrition to pregnant mothers and breastfeeding could help improve the overall health situation. Several lacunas in the system are immediately needed to be removed and the health officials, who don’t like to come out of their cozy offices, or rather say ‘shell’, are needed to be held responsible and accountable for health-related issues. Budget allocations will make no difference at all by itself, a proper mechanism for accountability is needed to be put in place to get the desired results. To begin with, someone must be held responsible for the killings of thousands of children in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.