Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur recommends the devolution of Health & Education Ministries

ISLAMABAD, July 08 (SABAH): Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur chaired the meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution held today at Parliament House. The meeting was attended by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Senator Ponjol Bheel, Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health Services Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Secretary NHSR&C Nadeem Mahbub, Chairman HEC Mukhtar Ahmed, and other senior officials from relevant departments.

Secretary NHSR&C Nadeem Mahbub briefed the committee that the Ministry of Health was abolished in 2010 after the 18th Amendment and recreated in 2013 with the ambition to create coordination between provinces and the federal government on health matters, and to extend support to provinces in various immunisation programs. He added that currently, 32 departments fall under the ambit of NHSR&C, including PIMS, PMDC, the National Institute of Health, and the Sehat Saulat Program. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro stated that NHSR&C was created on flimsy grounds as coordination could be extended through the Council of Common Interest.

Senator Zarqa Suharwardy called the recreation of NHSR&C a mere violation of the constitution and recommended that the ministry should be abolished, as health subject fall under the purview of provinces. PM Coordinator on National Health Services Dr. Mukhtar Bharath informed that the Prime Minister has tasked the ministry with its devolution, and efforts are underway in that regard.

Additionally, officials from the Ministry of Education informed the committee that the Ministry of Education was abolished and recreated in 2011 with the aim to maintain necessary standards of education and extend collaboration to provinces in this regard. Currently, the Federal Ministry of Education regulates 432 educational institutions and 29 departments.

Senator Zarqa Suharwardy maintained that despite having so many departments, the education standards in the country have not improved, and their replication is only creating a burden on the exchequer. She recommended the devolution of the education ministry as per the guidelines of the 18th Amendment.