Election Season: MQM for increase in health budget

ISLAMABAD:

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) on Tuesday unveiled its tentative health policy titled “A healthy vision for a healthy Pakistan”. The policy is set to be finalised before the upcoming elections.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on various political parties’ take on public health, MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said the party envisions a healthy Pakistan corresponding with the WHO’s definition of health. This will be done by addressing equity concerns through the provision of universal healthcare, irrespective of the income status of any individual.

He said the MQM believes that overpopulation, absence of a local government system, poor governance, low budgetary allocation for health, and a lack of transparency and accountability are among the major reasons behind this. He said the MQM proposes increasing the budget allocation for health care to 5% of the GDP, over a five to 10 year period. “The budgetary allocation will be increased at federal and provincial levels by introducing tax reforms, with the majority of revenue generated through tax reforms to be allocated to the health and education sectors.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.