Public health: Time ripe to take bold decisions, says Rafique

Adviser to CM says marked improvement noticeable across sector

LAHORE: Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique said on Friday that it was imperative to strike a balance between population growth and resources.

Rafique made the remarks while speaking at a two-day seminar on improving family planning services at a hotel.

He said this was imperative to overcome challenges in the health sector and bring about rapid economic development. Rafique said the galloping increase in population had created problems related to mother and child health.

He said there was a need for all stakeholders including the Health Department, the Population Welfare Department and NGOs to jointly strive to address the challenge through a comprehensive policy. Rafique said the rapid population growth was a pressing issue in a developing country like Pakistan.

He said many countries in the region had managed to overcome the challenge. Rafique called on religious leaders, politicians, rights activists and public departments to raise public awareness regarding this.

The adviser to chief minister said the CM was personally interested in introducing reforms across the health sector.

He said a visible improvement had been witnessed in key indicators including EPI coverage, availability of medicines and doctors’ attendance across public hospitals following the introduction of the reforms across the sector.

Rafique said 700 BHUs were engaged in providing labour facilities around-the-clock. However, he said, there was still room for greater hard work and commitment. Rafique said women MPAs should be included in district committees constituted in this regard. “The time is ripe to take bold decisions,” he said.

Population Welfare Minister Zakia Shahnawaz said there was a pressing need to raise public awareness and extend family planning services across towns and villages. She said access to education, health, potable water and a reasonable standard of life were citizens’ fundamental rights.

Therefore, Shahnawaz said, family planning and population welfare programmes had to be made successful.

The minister said all pertinent public departments, development partners and NGOs had to formulate a comprehensive policy and ensure its effective implementation. Shahnawaz said consolidated and uniform action would allow challenges to be overcome.

Performance reports of district technical committees, provision of contraceptives and family planning services were presented by experts on the occasion.

They also analysed the popularity of family planning among married couples. The experts also spoke regarding the provision of family planning facilities across primary and secondary healthcare facilities.

They also spoke about plans on extending them to teaching hospitals.

The experts also shed light on the need to evolve a strategy to increase public awareness and improve the popularity of family planning among the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2016.