PIMS needs 422 doctors, 352 nurses, NA panel told

Committee on National Health Services passes psychological council bill

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination was informed on Tuesday that Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is facing shortage of 422 doctors out of allocated strength of 818.

Pims officials told the committee that a total of 1,201 posts were vacant at the institute including 422 doctors, 352 nurses, 316 staff and others.

So far eight kidney transplants have been done in the hospital while there is a need to make further improvements in Bone Marrow Transplant Centre (BMTC), Pims officials said at the meeting held under chairmanship of Khalid Hussain Magsi.

They said that so far 130 bone marrow transplants have been conducted at Pims while there is deficit of doctors and other paramedical staff at hospital for bone marrow transplant.

Regarding the dengue outbreak, the committee was informed that the ministry concerned and the local administration have taken steps to control and prevent the citizens from the mosquito-borne viral fever.

It was informed that the health ministry has declared Rawat as the most high-risk for dengue virus while special measures have been adopted at rural health centers of federal capital.

Pakistan needs ‘a million more nurses’

Psychological Council Bill passed

The committee unanimously passed the Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2018. Riaz Fatyana said that NA approved and Senate passed same bill in 2013 however the bill was technically voided as NA was dissolved on completion of tenure.

He added an autonomous regulatory body would prepare rules and regulations along with regulation of syllabus being taught in universities.

Further, a committee member, Mukhtar Ahmed Malik, sought justification on sacking of four Pakistan Medical and Dental Council members. He said that sacking anybody without any reason or charge-sheet was unjust.

The chairman committee expressed that committee itself was confused about the council.

The committee members objecting on dispelling four council members of PMDC said no one can overrule the decisions of National Assembly standing committee. On which the PMDC officials made it clear that there was no role of Secretary Council on dispelling of committee members on July 16. The chairman committee said that the ministry should remove all confusions about the PMDC.

Doctors call off strike after talks with health ministry

 

Officials from the Ministry of National Health Services informed the committee that the government has contacted the Saudi government regarding issue of Pakistani doctors and it will inform the committee on receiving reply from the Saudi officials.

The committee members said that the ministry should inform the Saudi ministry that there was a comprehensive training in DS and MS Programme while there was confusion about the matter in Saudi Arabia.

Newborn Screening Bill

MNA Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak presented Federal Newborn Screening Bill, 2019. The committee sought further details from the Ministry of National Health Services on the bill.

The committee was informed by Child Specialist Dr Ali Raza that as per UNICEF report out of 15,000 children who born daily in Pakistan, as many as 1200 children faces thyroid deficiency.

He said in every 300 children, one child faces hearing problem in the country. The health ministry officials proposed that every public sector hospitals should conduct initial test on birth of newborn baby.

The committee members expressed their concerns over absence of Minister and Secretary for National Health Services to brief the committee on various issues.

The committee members said that steps should be taken to streamline Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and there should be mechanism of monitoring the authority.

The committee also reviewed matter of non-operative basic health centers and dispensaries in outskirts of Islamabad. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2019.