Spread of measles, rubella: SHC tells health dept to form committees to stop medicine theft
Court had told govt to start an awareness campaign on prevention of such diseases
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the provincial health authorities on Friday to constitute committees to stop the theft of measles and rubella medicines from public hospitals.
A division bench, headed by the Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, gave four weeks to the authorities for implementation of this order and also sought a compliance report. These committees will have the punitive powers.
The judges repeated this direction after they found out that the government had failed to constitute committees to prevent the theft of medicines, which is said to be a major cause of deaths of the children from measles in Thatta district.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Zulfiqar Langha, who had approached the court to take action against the relevant authorities over deaths of 48 children from rubella in Thatta and Sajawal districts.
On May 22, the SHC had ordered the special health secretary to launch a wide-spread awareness campaign, informing people of the adverse effects of measles, rubella and other related diseases and their causes and prevention methods.
During Friday's proceedings, the additional advocate general submitted a compliance report on behalf of the provincial chief secretary, Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, who said the government is committed to take proper steps for healthcare. The chief secretary is monitoring the issue in compliance with the order passed by the court, the report said.
The two judges observed that the measures taken, in response to the orders issued on May 22, are not enough. These measures seem to be limited to the publication of advertisements in newspapers, the judges noted, adding that these newspapers are mostly subscribed by the readers in Karachi and some large cities of the province and don't reach the people in the rural areas. "Some of them may also not be able to read English or Urdu," the bench added.
The judges directed the provincial government to prepare an effective awareness campaign so that people in all parts are made aware of the causes and effect of and the ways and means of prevention of the disease quickly and effectively.
The judges ordered that the campaign be devised and put into effect with the assistance of qualified professionals, including mass communication experts.
The most important issue seems to be the theft of medicines and it seems that the committees to prevent this, as ordered earlier, have not been constituted. They once again directed that such committees be constituted with certain punitive powers as may be admissible under the law.
Adjourning the hearing, the bench ordered the provincial law officer to submit a report within four weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2014.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the provincial health authorities on Friday to constitute committees to stop the theft of measles and rubella medicines from public hospitals.
A division bench, headed by the Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, gave four weeks to the authorities for implementation of this order and also sought a compliance report. These committees will have the punitive powers.
The judges repeated this direction after they found out that the government had failed to constitute committees to prevent the theft of medicines, which is said to be a major cause of deaths of the children from measles in Thatta district.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Zulfiqar Langha, who had approached the court to take action against the relevant authorities over deaths of 48 children from rubella in Thatta and Sajawal districts.
On May 22, the SHC had ordered the special health secretary to launch a wide-spread awareness campaign, informing people of the adverse effects of measles, rubella and other related diseases and their causes and prevention methods.
During Friday's proceedings, the additional advocate general submitted a compliance report on behalf of the provincial chief secretary, Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, who said the government is committed to take proper steps for healthcare. The chief secretary is monitoring the issue in compliance with the order passed by the court, the report said.
The two judges observed that the measures taken, in response to the orders issued on May 22, are not enough. These measures seem to be limited to the publication of advertisements in newspapers, the judges noted, adding that these newspapers are mostly subscribed by the readers in Karachi and some large cities of the province and don't reach the people in the rural areas. "Some of them may also not be able to read English or Urdu," the bench added.
The judges directed the provincial government to prepare an effective awareness campaign so that people in all parts are made aware of the causes and effect of and the ways and means of prevention of the disease quickly and effectively.
The judges ordered that the campaign be devised and put into effect with the assistance of qualified professionals, including mass communication experts.
The most important issue seems to be the theft of medicines and it seems that the committees to prevent this, as ordered earlier, have not been constituted. They once again directed that such committees be constituted with certain punitive powers as may be admissible under the law.
Adjourning the hearing, the bench ordered the provincial law officer to submit a report within four weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2014.