News Detail

 

The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination met at Karachi, under the chairmanship of Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti.

The meeting was attended by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Senator Nasir Mehmood Butt, while Senator Anusha Rehman Ahmad Khan participated via Zoom. Syed Mustafa Kamal, Federal Minister for National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, along with Mr. Saeed Ghani, Provincial Minister for Labour, Government of Sindh, and senior officials from the Federal and Provincial Health Departments attended the meeting.

At the outset, the Chairman Committee expressed grave concern over the alarming increase in HIV cases across the country, particularly in Sindh. As the matter primarily fell within the provincial domain, Provincial Minister Saeed Ghani briefed the Committee on the current situation. He informed the Committee that two major inquiries had been conducted of valika hospital incidence, during which 37 officials were identified for disciplinary action. He stated that the findings had not been made public due to security considerations but assured the Committee that strict action would be taken against those found responsible. He further informed the Committee that the Provincial Government had established a social security fund to facilitate families affected by HIV and reiterated that no individual found responsible would be spared.

Senator Nasir Mehmood Butt questioned why no FIRs had yet been registered against those responsible. Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan also expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in action and questioned the role of the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHC) in preventing the spread of the disease.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Sindh Healthcare Commission informed the Committee that the Commission had already lodged several FIRs against medical quacks. However, he stated that due to weaknesses in the existing legal framework, many accused secured bail shortly after their arrest. He informed the Committee that amendments to the relevant law were being proposed to strengthen enforcement against quackery. The CEO also highlighted the severe shortage of human resources within the Commission, stating that only around 170 officials were currently serving across the province.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri questioned why the Commission remained understaffed and asked whether the matter had been formally taken up with the Provincial Government. The Federal Minister requested the Chairman Committee to issue appropriate directions to enable the concerned authorities to proceed further.

Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan emphasized that the Government should acknowledge any administrative shortcomings if they existed. He also asked how many times the Sindh Healthcare Commission had formally requested additional staff from the Provincial Government.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri stressed that HIV was a highly sensitive issue requiring urgent public awareness. She recommended launching an effective nationwide awareness campaign, particularly through social media, to educate the public. She observed that despite being a socially sensitive topic, awareness regarding sexual and reproductive health was essential for young people and suggested that appropriate educational awareness should also be promoted in schools.

The Federal Minister proposed that the Committee dedicate a future meeting exclusively to the issues of HIV and population, enabling a more comprehensive discussion.

Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan observed that while politicians were often criticized, administrative inefficiencies also needed to be addressed and officials responsible for poor performance should be held accountable.

The Committee expressed serious displeasure over the late arrival of the Secretary, Health Department, Government of Sindh. The Secretary later joined the meeting, tendered an apology to the Committee, and the proceedings continued in the interest of the agenda.

The Chairman Committee also expressed serious concern over the country's persistently high unmet need for family planning, observing that the situation had shown little improvement over the past eight years. He remarked that the indicators should have improved through effective implementation of government policies.

Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan emphasized the importance of maternal and child nutrition, stating that a child's health from conception through early childhood was critical for the nation's future. He observed that proper nutrition for pregnant women and young children was the responsibility of the State and stressed that primary healthcare providers should ensure adequate nutritional support for expectant mothers.

The Secretary, Health Department, Government of Sindh assured the Committee that the Provincial Government would provide the Sindh Healthcare Commission with additional human resources whenever formally requested.

During the discussion, the Committee noted concerns regarding the governance structure of the Sindh Healthcare Commission after it was informed that the Health Department did not exercise administrative control over the Commission following the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The Federal Minister requested the Committee to consider legislative measures to address governance-related issues affecting provincial institutions.

The Committee also discussed the appointment process for members of the Sindh Healthcare Commission's Board. The Secretary Health informed the Committee that the Department did not possess the authority to appoint or remove Board members. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri remarked that such institutional limitations undermined accountability, while Senator Nasir Mehmood Butt expressed concern that the CEO of the Commission was not administratively answerable to the Secretary Health.

The Committee subsequently received a briefing from the Border Health Services regarding surveillance and screening measures at Pakistan's international points of entry. Officials informed the Committee about ongoing screening of deportees, international travellers and preparedness measures against public health emergencies. The Committee directed the Border Health Services to continue strengthening surveillance and response mechanisms.

The Committee then received separate briefings from the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) and the Pharma Bureau regarding pharmaceutical pricing and the industry's perspective on deregulation.

Representatives of both organizations argued that price deregulation had contributed positively to medicine availability, investment and sustainability of the pharmaceutical sector. The Chairman Committee appreciated the industry's contribution but emphasized that affordability of medicines for ordinary citizens remained the Committee's foremost priority. He observed that while ensuring quality medicines and uninterrupted supply chains was important, pharmaceutical companies must also rationalize profit margins.

The Chairman informed the participants that the Competition Commission of Pakistan was already examining the matter and would submit its report in due course. He cautioned that if the industry failed to voluntarily rationalize prices, stronger regulatory measures could become necessary. He further observed that the Committee had been engaging with the pharmaceutical sector on this issue for over a year and supported industry growth, but not at the expense of public access to affordable medicines. The Committee informed the PPMA and Pharma Bureau that preliminary findings already available were not entirely satisfactory and urged the industry to proactively address the Committee's concerns.

The matter relating to the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) was briefly discussed. Senator Anusha Rehman Ahmad Khan, informed the Committee that the report of the Sub-Committee would shortly be submitted. The Committee also decided to undertake a visit to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri highlighted complaints regarding the responsiveness of the Public Relations section of PMDC towards students and recommended that the concerned officials also be called during the Committee's forthcoming meeting.

The Committee then considered the briefing of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) regarding Agenda Item No. 6. Committee members observed that earlier recommendations of the Senate Committee had not been implemented in letter and spirit and directed CPSP to ensure full compliance. CPSP officials informed the Committee that necessary directions had already been issued to the affiliated institutions. The committee appreciated the efforts made by CPSP in this context. The Secretary, National Health Services informed the Committee that the matter regarding revision of trainee stipends was currently awaiting approval by the Honourable Prime Minister.

During the meeting, a delegation of 14 trainee doctors from Sobhraj Maternity Hospital appeared before the Committee and alleged that the hospital was violating the directions of the Ministry and CPSP by paying trainee doctors below the prescribed stipend. Taking serious notice of the matter, the Chairman Committee directed the Ministry of National Health Services to coordinate with the Provincial Government and ensure that the issue was resolved without delay & directed CPSP to make registration of the affected doctors right away from the day they joined.

Expressing serious concern over the condition of health services across the country, the Chairman of the Committee directed that the Committee undertake provincial visits to evaluate the healthcare system and engage with relevant stakeholders. The visits will commence with Punjab, with the next Committee meeting scheduled to be held in Lahore.

The meeting concluded with directions to the concerned ministries and organizations to submit progress reports on the matters discussed before the next meeting.

---