Dr Yasmin underlines need for concrete and long lasting health policy

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, while underlining the need of concrete and long lasting health policy, has said that the focus on the rural health centers was crucial for attaining the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing the inaugural session of consultative workshop on the development of national health policy and provincial strategic framework, the health minister said that Pakistan is facing lack of health facilities, particularly in rural areas which were badly “neglected in the past”.

Dr. Yasmin said that conducting such workshop was a milestone in engineering new health policy.“

Pakistan is facing double burden of diseases and lack of health facilities. Many of the diseases can be controlled at relatively low cost at primary and secondary care level” she added.

Dr. Yasmin Rashid maintained that the pyramid of medical facilities should be reversed and time has come to focus on rural areas with a fresh political will.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has always directed the party leadership to focus on provision of health facilities and has always stressed that the process of bringing tangible change should begin with improvement in health sector,” said Yasmin Rashid.

Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Col. Retd. Muhammad Hashim Dogar, Secretary Specialized Healthcare Saqib Zafar, Special Secretary Muhammad Khan Ranjha, Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Dr. Shagufta Zareen and eminent scholars were also in attendance in the workshop.