PM Shehbaz lauds the role of the Aga Khan Foundation in development of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 08 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said provision of basic health and education facilities to every citizen of Pakistan is the foremost priority of the government.
PM Shehbaz Sharif was addressing a launching ceremony of the Aga Khan University Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines as chief guest in Karachi on Wednesday. The Prime Minister said during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Punjab, he established institutions of international standard like the PKLI and burn centres for the treatment of deadly diseases. He said numerous valuable institutions like SIUT are also serving the public in Sindh.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said soon after taking oath of the office of the Prime Minister, he had promised with people that he would not rest until every Pakistani has access to quality education and health facilities. He said with the grace of Allah Almighty, his government is rapidly moving towards fulfilling this promise with each passing day.
Acknowledging the invaluable services of the Aga Khan Foundation for public welfare, the Prime Minister said guidelines manual written by the Aga Khan University in the context of Pakistan is a bright chapter in the reforms of Pakistan’s health sector.
He said the guidelines, developed after research on clinical practice, will play an important role in aligning Pakistan’s health sector with global standards.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said the Aga Khan Foundation is providing consultancy services free of cost for the construction of Jinnah Medical Complex in Islamabad, which is commendable.
He also lauded the role of the Aga Khan Foundation in the development of Pakistan, especially in the health and education sectors.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister also thanked President Aga Khan Foundation Sultan Ali Allana for providing consultancy for Jinnah Medical Complex in Islamabad.
Welcoming the Prime Minister and participants, President Aga Khan University Dr. Salman Shahabuddin highlighted the services of Aga Khan University in the field of medicine in the country.
On this occasion, Dean of Aga Khan Medical College and Editor-in-Chief of the Clinical Manual, Dr. Adil Haider briefed the participants that this is the first book of guidelines related to the health sector in the entire region, launched in Pakistan.
He said by implementing this manual, twenty million people will directly benefit from international standard care, while 150,000 lives can be saved through better precautions and procedures during medical operations. Previously, there was no such manual based on guidelines in Pakistan.
Dr Adil Haider further said these guidelines have been developed considering the current conditions of Pakistan’s health sector, with research on over 140 procedures and specialties. Additionally, this manual is available online free of charge to all doctors in the country.
Later, the Prime Minister participated in a roundtable discussion on the health sector with the leading health professionals from the Aga Khan University and across the country.
The medical experts presented suggestions to the Prime Minister regarding reforms and addressing issues in Pakistan’s health sector and providing access to quality health facilities for the common man.
Participants proposed expanding the scope of vaccination to prevent diseases in Pakistan, promoting telemedicine across the country, fostering public-private partnerships in the health sector, providing world-class medical and nursing education in Pakistan, and increasing the number of nurses, among other suggestions.
The Prime Minister welcomed the proposals and said the government is striving hard to bring further improvements in the primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare.