Provincial minister for Health, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that 169 development schemes initiated by Sindh Health Department at the cost of Rs.12500 million (mn) should be completed in stipulated time in order to facilitate the public.
While presiding over a meeting of Health Department in her office on Monday, Dr Pechuho said that Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHC) needed to be made more effective.
During the meeting Additional Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Usman Chachar briefed Dr Pechuho, who is also the provincial minister for population welfare, regarding the work done by technical, administrative, development and procurement, monitoring and inspection wings of health department.
The health minister said that in addition to making SHC more effective, there was also a need to regularise the salaries of employees working in Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Accident, Emergency, Ancillary Services Complex at Civil Hospital Karachi.
She also said that there was a need to complete the construction of Burns Ward at the complex and make it functional.
The Sindh health minister also said that breast cancer in women was on a rise. She said that besides comprehensive research on the subject, an awareness campaign should be launched on a large scale to create awareness among the women regarding preventive measures they could take.
Dr Pechuho also said that there was a need for capacity building of workforce in the Health Department.
During the meeting, officials also informed Dr Pechuho that eight incinerators had been installed in seven public sector hospitals such as Jinnah, Lyari , Civil Hospitals Karachi, Hyderbad, Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad.
Published in Daily Times, August 28th 2018.