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JPMC medical symposium opens CE urges users to share cost of medical care

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said that modalities to introduce user's charges which can be met with lesser public resistance should be worked out as funding constraints were putting strains on the recurring expenditure of the ministry of health.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the 37th Medical Symposium of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Monday.

He said the suggestion was to shift some burden on the users as institutions/hospitals as big as the JPMC were consuming major portion of the non-development budget.

Gen. Pervez said to provide quality health care with meagre resources was not possible and the users would have to realise that and share some of the burden of the cost of medical care.

He said in addition to direct 'out of pocket user charges' an alternative system of social financing and health insurance and increased diversion of funds from Zakat to health care were a few of the alternatives that call for consideration.

The Chief Executive lamented more than 3,800 doctors were being produced by the 17 medical hospitals and majority of them were not willing to serve in the rural areas.

As such there was imbalance in the rural-urban health care facilities. There should be a system to post young doctors in rural areas before they were allowed to practise in urban areas, he added.

Referring to the demand for giving medical university status to the JPMC the CE said it was worth giving consideration.

He said there were a number of private universities and medical colleges in the private sector. If any hospital was to be granted the status of a university, the JPMC was the most suitable hospital for consideration.

He said the demand for Rs 50 million increase in the budget of the JPMC appeared to be reasonable. "But I cannot make any announcement for the increase. It will be examined and then a decision would be taken. However, on my own I make an announcement of Rs 3 million for the welfare funds of the JPMC's low-paid employees.

Prof. Rashid Jooma, convenor of the symposium, recounted the problems faced by the JPMC, gave detail about the symposium and asked the participants to draw maximum advantage from it.

He highlighted the new and innovative approaches which were introduced for the first time in the JPMC symposium to make it more meaningful for the participants.

Prof. Majeed Baloch, director of the JPMC, said, "the JPMC has grown to the level of a postgraduate university and a draft proposal to this effect has already been prepared to be submitted to the competent authority in due course."

He welcomed the Chief Executive and introduced him to the academic council of the JPMC. Dr. G. Asghar Chana, symposium secretary, presented vote of thanks.

The inauguration was largely attended by the medical scientists, scholars, civil and military officials.

The CE, after inaugurating the symposium, opened a trade exhibition held for the leading pharmaceuticals assisting the JPMC in holding the symposium.