PMA urges govt to improve basic healthcare system

Primary healthcare system caters 70-80 of Pakistan

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has emphasised the need for improving the primary healthcare system in the country instead of investing in highcost machinery for tertiary care without an improvement in the former. A representative body of medical practitioners, PMA, apparently opposed the robotic surgery initiative of the Sindh government asserting on improving the basic healthcare in the province.

However, the provincial government is investing in robotics so that the facility is available free of cost to people. The PMA’s statement came as the Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and the Caretaker  Health  Minister Dr  Saad  Niaz  exchanged  verbal  barbs  over  robotic surgery,  with  the  later  vehemently opposing the idea, terming it a waste of resources. PMA said, as an organisation that promotes healthcare advancement, it acknowledges that tertiary care is important, but it believes that the government’s focus should be on the primary healthcare system.

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Strengthening the primary healthcare system will ensure that people receive timely and adequate medical attention without the need for expensive tertiary care. The primary healthcare system  is  the  backbone  of  the  health  sector  and  caters  to  70-80  percent  of  healthcare in Pakistan. Unfortunately it is weak, and we need to focus on improving it before investing in tertiary care.

Primary  healthcare  system  in  Pakistan,  especially  in  Sindh  lacks  basic  facilities and equipment, which forces people to seek treatment at costly medical centres.