Sindh Medical and Dental Council is in making: Dr Azra Pechuho

Karachi: Dr Azra Pechuho, Sindh Health Minister recently addressed news conference held at the Sindh Secretariat. Azra was accompanied by Ahson Rabbani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Child Life Foundation (CLF) as well. CLF was a partner of the Sindh government in running the children emergency rooms at public hospitals.

Addressing a news conference, Azra said that a bill would be tabled soon in the Sindh Assembly. This would be done for the establishment of a provincial health education regulatory council to regulate medical education and practice in the province.

Sindh Health Minister announced, “The federal government should not have dismantled the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council [PMDC] but they didn’t listen to us. Now we are fed up with this situation and we have decided to establish our own medical and dental council in the province to regulate the health profession and medical education.”

Dr Pechuho said that the federal government should immediately restore the PMDC. Otherwise, the provinces would be free to take their own course. She said that Sindh Government would not let some individuals create trouble for doctors and medical students in the country.

The federal government should not have dismantled the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council [PMDC] but they didn’t listen to us...we have decided to establish our own medical and dental council in the province -says Pechuho

Lauding the Child Life Foundation (CLF) efforts, Health Minister said that a legislation has been passed for the establishment of the satellite centres. These centers will be under the umbrella of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in other cities of Sindh. She vowed that the first satellite center of the NICH would be established in Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah) very soon.

The health minister maintained that the establishment of child health facilities in other cities of Sindh would reduce burden on NICH facility in Karachi. She added that this would also ensure provision of effective medical treatment to children in their own cities.

Azra said, “We are facing an acute shortage of trained manpower in the interior of Sindh but after the establishment of satellite centres of the NICH in other districts of Sindh, the issue of trained doctors and paramedics would be resolved.”

Dr Pechuho urged the parents to get their children vaccinated against preventable diseases. She said that it was the job of the parents to take care of their children. They should get them properly inoculated and ensure proper nutrition for them to save them from diseases.

Sindh Health Minister said, “We know that there are problems at health facilities but it is the job of parents to take care of their children too and keep them away from the hospitals. This can easily be done by vaccinating them, as these vaccines are being given to the children free of charge.”

Responding to a query regarding the shortage of medicines, Azra said the procurement committee for the purchase of medicines was an independent body and she could not interfere in its affairs.

Health Minister, however, added that the committee had started the process for the procurement of medicines. To a query about the dengue outbreak, she said it was a nationwide outbreak that had affected the entire country. She informed the media that from the next year, the Sindh government would be implementing a strategy to contain and prevent dengue.

CEO of the CLF claimed, “Sindh government’s commitment has paved the way for development of better health infrastructure for people of Sindh. Since the project began in Karachi, the children of Karachi have access to world-class emergency services within 30 minutes from their location.”