For a healthier nation: Minister promises reforms in health department

Jam Mehtab Dahar admits to shortage of medical staff in Thar

KARACHI: The provincial health department plans to formulate a board of members of civil society who will give their input on how to improve health facilities in each district of Sindh. The board will report to the health minister and secretary about the efficiency and performance of medical staff in the province.

Speaking to the media at his office on Monday, Sindh health minister Jam Mehtab Dahar refuted all reported figures of deceased children in Tharparkar and maintained that 316 children had died since January. "Ninety per cent of the children brought to the hospital were in a critical condition," said the minister, justifying the reason for the high number of deaths in hospitals.

According to the official records of the department, 30 children died in January, 25 in February, 30 in March, 11 in April, 20 in May, 27 in June, 35 in July, 19 in August, 17 in September, 26 in October,  36 in November and 40 in December.

The minister admitted, however, that there was a shortage of medical staff and paramedics, adding that he was taking the issue seriously. "A better package for the people of Tharparkar will be announced soon."

Appreciating the doctors working in the desert, the minister said it was not an easy job to work in Tharparkar. Dahar said that he had asked all district health officials to improve medical facilities in their respective areas. "I will personally visit the hospitals after 10 days." The minister said it was his department's responsibility to make primary healthcare efficient.

He added that a policy to privatise public hospitals was being considered, adding that the provincial health department intended to bring the standard of public hospitals at par with Aga Khan University Hospital and Indus Hospital.

Dahar said that 32 doctors were being promoted from grade 19 to 20, adding that 280 doctors will also be promoted from grade 18 to 19 soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2014.