By NNN-APP,
Lahore, Pakistan : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Saturday said that Pakistan Peoples Party government was taking special steps to provide education and healthcare facilities to all citizens across the country.
Addressing the 10th convocation of Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) here, he said that present government had allocated huge amount of Rs 31.57 billion for education and Rs 23.15 billion for health in the current financial year.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan People’s Party government was aware of the fact that future of our national progress and prosperity hinges on growth of education and health sectors.
“Our party considers education and health as a basic right of every citizen and central to sustainable development, therefore, we accorded high priority to both these sectors,” he added.
“My government fully understands the importance of health sector in a developing country like Pakistan. We are formulating a new national health policy with a goal of ‘health for all’,” he said.
Under the new national health policy, a number of effective measures are on the card to provide ‘access to a doctor’ to all citizens, he added.
This include new health insurance scheme, free hepatitis treatment plan, establishment of breast and blood screening centers, development of national HIV/AIDs Strategic Framework to combat the epidemic, and reduction in mother and child mortality, to name a few, he maintained.
The prime minister said that the importance of medical profession has further increased due to current situation in the country, where expertise and timely health care was need of the hour.
“Even today a large segment of our society is deprived of proper medicare due to inadequate resources and trained staff, particularly in the rural areas”, he said.
Doctor – patient ratio in Pakistan is not very encouraging therefore, there is a requirement to educate and train additional number of doctors, he said.
Pakistan is in dire need of doctors, who are dedicated, devoted, committed, caring, humane and highly professional, he said and urged the health professionals to take their job as a challenge and a national service.
“Health professionals have no choice but to embrace it as a challenge and national service,” he viewed.
He also sought role of private sector in this regard.
The Premier while highlighting importance of the quality education said that the government was taking landmark steps to increase healthcare access and enhance quality at all levels.
He said that academia play a pivotal role in ensuring good learning outcome as the quality of learning depends, on the quality of teachers.
In health sector their responsibility multiplies manifold since the product they produce will directly impact the quality of service for the common man, he added.
The Prime Minister said that patient safety and care was an important aspect of the medical profession which should be focused both by the faculty and the doctors.
He said that he had directed the Ministry of Health to develop an effective ‘Disease Surveillance System’ and improve focus of health management system to minimize possibility of errors.
“I have to say it with anguish that due to negligence or erroneous treatment in some medical institutions, a number of precious lives were lost or caused irreparable damage to patient health. I strongly urge all the medical professionals and management of medical institutions to accord top priority to patient safety,” he warned.
He appreciated the Allama Iqbal Medical College as a prestigious institution shaping up gradually to meet the high international standards.
Gilani emphasized upon the need to groom the students with desire to serve the nation particularly, the poor so that they can contribute positively.
He hoped that the young graduates would venture into the field of innovation and latest trends in medicine and surgery.
“A lot of emphasis needs to be given to research, since without it no institution can be recognized as par excellence,” he said.
Research and development is a critical component, and many countries are trying to develop National Systems of Innovation that attempt to harness the combined resources of its academic institutions with the research enterprises, he added.
He also congratulated the recipients of medical degrees and called it a moment of great pride and joy for them and a reflection of their hard work, commitment and dedication to studies and profession.
“I wish you a bright future and success in this noble profession,” he said.
Earlier, while addressing the convocation Prof. Javaid Akram Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah Hospital said that the Jinnah hospital successfully treated the cases of victims of Moon market blast, Sri Lanka Cricket Team Attack and other terrorist activities by attaching artificial limbs and providing them with other necessary medical facilities.
He requested the Chief Minister of Punjab to direct the concerned departments for the construction of underpass and a nursing block in the Jinnah Hospital.
He said that College Convocation was not held regularly in the past, therefore, it had been decided to confer awards on all those who had earned them regardless of the year of graduation.