RAWALPINDI – Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations andCoordination Aamer Mehmood Kiani said that unfortunately, no formergovernment gave priority to the health sector as 0.9 percent of GDP wasinvested in the healthcare.
The Minister said that the issue of mother and child hospital was taken upin the Cabinet meeting which decided to complete the project on specialbasis. “The building assessment is done and it is revealed that almostmaximum structure is safe and able for further construction, adding thatthe Rawalpindi Institute of Urology will be completed soon,” he added.
He was addressing 12th Convocation of Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU)where he distributed gold medals distinction certificates and degrees among317 medical graduates here on Saturday.
The Minister said that the incumbent govt was keen to upgrade the alliedhospitals of the city and admitted the lack of facilities being provided tothe patients.
The young doctors serving in these hospitals were found in troubles whowere managing the bulge of patients beyond their means whereas the govtwill increase their remunerations, he added.
The young doctors were not paid their house job allowances which made itdifficult for the new comers to manage their expanses, after the SupremeCourt orders the Universities would now pay their allowance for one yearwhich was appreciable, the minister remarked. “We are revamping PakistanMedical and Dental Council (PMDC) which is not serving the masses up to themark.
A new board of doctors will be formed to look after the Council inbefitting way. However, we have also overhauled DRAP to improve theconditions of medicines provided to the patients,” the health ministersaid.
He thanked former Chief Justice Supreme Court Justice Mian Saqib Nisar forretrieving billions worth encroached land of hospitals in the FederalCapital where new hospitals would be constructed. He said that former govtwere paying Rs 2000 billion interest on loans per year which was enough todevelop the nation and to mitigate the 25 million out of school childrenratio.
He said that it had been proposed to impose smoking tax which was roughlyabout Rs 30 to Rs 35 billion and would be spent on improving health sector.
He said that health cards issued to poor masses would also help generateincome sources for not only pharmaceuticals rather doctors as well.
“We are going to introduce Insurance for the doctors which will providethem financial assistance,” he added. In his welcome address, ViceChancellor RMU, Prof Dr Muhammad Umar said that Rawalpindi MedicalUniversity was committed to provide excellent education in medicine at parwith international standards.
The University was the pioneer public sector medical institution in Punjabto implement successfully Integrated Modular undergraduate medicalcurriculum for First Year MBBS class 2017-18 and its university examinationhad also been conducted on Modular pattern which was exemplary being firstin Punjab, he added.