ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the occasion of World Health Day on Sunday, promised to ensure healthcare facilities for all 241 million Pakistanis across the country, his office said.
World Health Day is a global health awareness day that is celebrated every year on April 7 since 1950, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as other related organizations.
In a statement issued by Sharif’s office, the prime minister said this year’s theme “My health, my right” aptly encapsulated every citizen’s right to quality health services.
“In order to ensure health for all and as promised to the nation in the PMLN (Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party) manifesto, our focus would remain on improving primary, secondary and tertiary health care, medical education, preventive health care and improved governance,” he said.
“We will partner and encourage provincial governments to expand and upgrade health facilities, launch mobile health clinics for enhanced access, re-energize immunization and improve mental health services.”
In Pakistan, a majority of people find themselves unable to afford treatment at private hospitals, while most of the government-run health facilities lack space, equipment and tools to treat all incoming patients.
Healthcare has been a provincial subject since the 18th amendment in 2010 and provincial governments have rolled out special schemes in recent years to enable the masses to afford costly treatment of diseases.
Sharif said the establishment and operationalization of a Medical City in the eastern city of Lahore, and the establishment of Cancer Care Hospital and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute facilities in each province were key priorities of his government.
“We remain committed to universal health coverage and universal health insurance for our population, particularly providing free-of-cost health care services to low and middle-income families,” he said.
The prime minister applauded the services of Pakistani health care professionals, paramedical staff and other workers in providing health care to the nation.
He reiterated the commitment to transform Pakistan’s healthcare sector at all levels to ensure that each and every Pakistani had access to quality healthcare.