It’s about time.
Maybe something to look foward to in Karachi for
Farid 
KARACHI, Mar 21 (APP)- Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Wednesday performed the formal ground breaking ceremony of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Complex Tower in the port city.Speaking on the occasion he said the Rs 3.3 billion project is first of its kind in the health-care infrastructure programme initiated in Karachi by the federal government.
The project, which is to be completed in three years time, is designed to provide all medical care and diagnostic facilities under a single roof. It is spread over an area of around 10 acres of land within JPMC premises.
The Prime Minister, addressing the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other staffers of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, announced an additional amount of Rs 20 million for maintenance work at the facility with particular focus on cleanliness and hospital waste management.
“This facility will be an icon where hi-tech medical assistance will be provided to complex cases,” he pointed out.
Shaukat Aziz said the present government was keen to improve the life quality of the masses and therefore has adopted a multi-pronged approach with equal focus on prevention, besides raising the national health care budget.
“Our basic strategy is based on prevention,” Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said and referred to the scheme for across the board accessibility of masses to potable water, hepatitis control programme, HIV/ AIDS and T.B. Control Programmes, along with several others.
The Prime Minister said that equal attention is also being given to training and education of quality health care professionals and to provision of quality drugs at affordable rates.
“Major health sector reforms are underway,” he saidA draft of law regarding Independent Drug Regulatory Authority has been placed before the parliament and it will be followed by creation of independent entities regarding drug pricing, regulation, quality and other factors.
The Prime Minister said JPMC Medical Complex would be particularly meant for those who cannot afford medical care.
“The government would like to do some thing for Karachiites and the federal hospital will provide world class medical care,” he said.
Highlighting the significance of the fast growing metropolis inhabited by 15 million people, he said it continues to provide opportunities to masses from across the country.
He praised the contribution made by former Executive Director of JPMC, Prof. Mashoor Alam in planning and designing of JPMC Medical Tower.
Responding to the submission forwarded by Executive Director of JPMC, Dr. Rashid Jooma, the Prime Minister assured to look into the issue of of shortage of workforce at government hospitals.
He also suggested that public sector institutions must also develop ability to raise money by creating right ambience and seeking support from private sector and philanthropists.
Federal Health Minister, Mohammad Nasir Khan said it was after more than after two decades that the present federal government has initiated world class health care schemes in the country, with the aim to serve poor and those belonging to low socio-economic segments.
“The sincerity and commitment of the government can be gauged from the fact that against a budgetary allocation of Rs 15.5 billion a few years ago we currently have a health care budget of Rs 55 billion,” he said.
He also mentioned that the last ECNEC meeting at Gwadar which approved development projects worth Rs 106 billion included health care projects worth Rs 30 billion.
The Federal Health Minister said the country was poised to attain total polio eradication goal by the end of 2007.
Executive Director of JPMC, Dr. Rashid Jooma, in his welcome address, said the hospital, in a span of last three years, received Rs 733 million as development funds which were more than the total amount the hospital received, under the same head, during previous 50 years.
The ceremony was also attended by Federal Health Secretary, Syed Anwar Mehmood, Sindh Governor, Dr. Ishrat- ul- Ebad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim and several other dignitaries.