Manan Mandokhail:
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QUETTA:
Costly machines at Balochistan’s largest government-run hospital are deliberately made out of order to force patients to conduct tests in private clinics. This was revealed by the Balochistan health minister, Syed Ehsan Shah while talking to the Daily Quetta Voice on Tuesday.
The Minister visited the German government-constructed Children Hospital Quetta (CHQ) and hailed the efforts of the staff and management for providing better health services. Secretary Health Balochistan, Saleh Nasar, Chief Executive of the CHQ, Dr. Habibullah Babar, Surgeon Dr. Ghulam Nabi Nasar, Dr. Amin Mandokhail, the Director of Technical, and others were also present on the occasion.
Doctors have to serve the patients: Minister
“This is very bad, doctors and staff members have to serve the patients”, the Minister said while referring to a few hospitals in Balochistan.
When asked about the medicines budget, the minister revealed that the health department’s annual budget for medicines was Rs.4 billion across Balochistan. “We are trying hard to make sure the availability of medicines”, he said.
The health minister stated that the purchase of medicines was decentralized and the districts were empowered to purchase medicines. Our priority is serving the ailing humanity, Syed Ehsan Shah stated. He vowed that none would be allowed to purchase substandard medicines and that the official medicines would not be sold out in the open market.
Doctors’ presence would be ensured in the remote areas of Balochistan
In response to a question about the newly recruited doctors on a contract basis, Syed Ehsan Shah said that a standard operating procedure (SoP) was made in this regard after a thorough consultation to make sure the presence of doctors in the far-flung areas of Balochistan.
The minister said that a joint act of all autonomous hospitals including the CHQ, BINUQ, and Fatima Jinnah Hospital was being prepared to make sure a unified service structure for the employees working in these hospitals.
