Karachi, February 22, 2018 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed health department to work out a plan to start non-stop paediatric OPD in all the government hospital from 8 am to 8pm. He issued these directive chairing a meeting in which Child Life Foundation, a government partner, gave him a presentation on child health in Sindh.
The foundation told the chief minister that 250 children under the age of five die every year. They added that around 21,000 children are brought in hospitals every day and 43 percent children belong to poor families, therefore they face different health issues. On this the chief minister said that he was worried about the health of children whether they belong to poor or well of families. “It becomes the responsibility of the government to provide, free of cost and non-stop health services to everyone.
The Child Life Foundation told the chief minister that by the end of April 2018 all the teaching government hospitals in Karachi would have full-fledged separate child health service facilities. Similar facilities are being developed in Larkana Shaikh Zaid hospital, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad and in various other districts.
The chief minister said that the OPD for children is operated in in government hospitals from 8 am to 2 pm and after that the children to checked in emergency. ‘I want children OPD from 8 am to 8p and then ailing children could be taken to emergency,” he said.
He directed the health secretary that new 6000 doctors have been appointed, therefore shortage of doctors have been overcome to a considerable extent. “Now, prepare a plan for establishing a well-equipped children health facility in every DHQ and even in taluka hospital where children OPD must be made non-stop from morning to 8 pm,” he said. He added that he would prefer to engage private sector so that service quality, management and non-stop OPD service could be ensured.
The chief minister also directed health department to prepare a software for keeping date-wise, time-wise, name-wise record of OPD, emergency and admitted patients with the medicines given to him/her, lab test and such facilities. “This would help to assess the health issues and services in Sindh, apart from misuse/under use of labs and medicines,” he said. The chief minister said that he would personally focus children health services by reviewing meetings time to time.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019 (Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk