Daily Times

Being a woman is not easy, and especially more so in Pakistan. In a country where countless problems in education and health remain rampant as a general ill, gender inequalities worsen the situation for women and girls. With the Maternal and Infant Mortality rates standing at an alarming 276 out of every 100,000 live births and awareness of and access to health care severely lacking, more so in rural areas, there was a serious emergency in Health care in Pakistan. This being said and done, there is a glimmer of hope in the concentrated efforts made by the Government of Sindh towards improving the state of affairs.

Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, being the first Muslim woman Prime Minister in the world, obviously had a great burden upon her shoulders when it came to her dreams and desires for a successful, prosperous and democratic Pakistan. “As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women’s issues, in bringing down the population growth rate… as a woman, I entered politics with an additional dimension — that of a mother!” Her legacy lives on to this day through her illustrious son, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who desires a better life and a better future for every Pakistani, but strives to improve the lives of women especially.

Upon taking oath in July 2016, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, rightfully so, declared an emergency in Education and Health. Standing in second place after Balochistan, in 2013 Sindh had a dismal MMR of 311, and over 48 percent of children suffering from stunting and 15 percent suffering from acute malnourishment. The past few years have seen positive developments in these numbers through a marked effort of the Pakistan People’s Party government, which believes strongly in providing basic amenities to the common people and working for the common good of the nation as a whole.

The Pakistan Peoples Party government commenced improvements in the health sector through upgrading medical facilities and availability of health care in the most remote regions of the province, especially Thar. The upgrading of 300 Basic Health Units out of which 280 have been moved up to BHU Plus status meaning they will be providing health care facilities round the clock was a big step in this direction. These health units offer polio vaccines, delivery coverage, maternal health services and family planning. Over 5400 medical personnel have been hired out of which nearly 2800 are Women Doctors, thereby automatically increasing access to health care for thousands of women whose families would previously be wary of accessing health care due to the absence of qualified female doctors.

The Sindh Government has completely revamped and changed the face of health care. Through collaborations with renowned and efficient national and international organisations, it has worked tirelessly to provide better-quality healthcare for free at the doorstep of every common Pakistani, as was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto

The Sindh Government has completely revamped and changed the face of health care. Through collaborations with renowned and efficient national and international organizations, it has worked tirelessly to provide better-quality healthcare for free at the doorstep of every common Pakistani, as was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Through Public Private Partnerships with Aman Foundation, HANDS, Indus Hospital and MERF, Rs97 million in 2017-18 have been dedicated towards the running of District Hospitals, Rural Health Centres, Basic Health Units, Ambulance Services and dispensaries.  Under the donors programme, a Child Healthcare Institute at Sukkur is being established with the support of Korean loan worth Rs4.8 billion in which provincial government will contribute Rs162.792 million.  The installation of modern and updated breast cancer screening machines from the UK, at 5 Government Hospitals and the proposed establishment of 25 additional chest pain units in Karachi by the NICVD are just some examples of how this government is committed towards improved healthcare.

Collaborations with International Donors such as the European Union, World Food Programme and USAID have also had a commendable impact on improving the health status of Sindh in recent years. With a financial outlay of Rs 68 billion for the coming five years and technical support from the World Bank, the Sehatmand Sindh, an Accelerated Action Plan, has been formulated for recognising and addressing the issues of malnutrition and stunting. The EU funded Women and Children Improved Nutrition Sindh (WINS) has played a pivotal role in the improved nutritional status in targeted areas. It is now being supplemented by Programme for Improving Nutrition in Sindh (PINS) which is a multi-sectoral intervention programme worth 68.25 million Euros. Moreover, the WFP remains a committed partner of the Government of Sindh, addressing malnutrition among children and women through a $48 million program.

As of January 2018, USAID statistics boast an improved Maternal Mortality Rate of 140 out of every 100,000 live births for Sindh, putting it squarely ahead of all other provinces, only through sustained efforts towards improvements in healthcare provision. This is a decrease of 50% in the past 5 years!

I admit, the fight is far from over. We have indeed miles to go before (we) sleep; but even though the state of affairs is not perfect, and so much more can and needs to be done to improve health care in Sindh, there have been marked improvements and accomplishments that need to be acknowledged. The fact that GoS is on the right track is evident, and similar sustained efforts can only bring more positive results.

The writer is a political activist. She can be reached at annymarri@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, February 7^th 2018.