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PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF SINDH
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
LIST OF STARRED ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR
WEDNESDAY THE 30TH JANUARY, 2019
*287. Mr. Arif Mustafa Jatoi: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
(a) Is it a fact that there is no master register of doctors licensed to practice in Sindh;
(b) If answer to (a) above is affirmative, the reasons thereof?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
a) No, it is not a fact.
The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), Islamabad is the competent body to maintain the registration record of all doctors across the country and issue them registration certificate to do medical practice. Such doctors are then called as “Registered Medical Practitioners” and thus are eligible to do medical practice within the country or Province (as the case may be).
b) As above.
*334. Mr. Arif Mustafa Jatoi: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
(a) Is it a fact that there is a particular virus which affects politicians in jail;
(b) If answer to (a) above be in affirmative, whether there is any vaccination available?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
(a) It is not a fact. No such virus exists.
(b) Not applicable.
*443. Mr. Arsalan Taj Hussain: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
Measures being taken by the department to fight against the Superbug Typhoid that is untreatable and turning into epidemic, already widespread in Hyderabad division and to fight against Naegleria meningitis and water borne diseases?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
Following measures have been taken by the department to fight against superbug Typhoid:
ü Polysaccharide vaccination was done through child survival program of Health Department to the eligible children and conjugate typhoid vaccine campaign is being carried out in affected areas of district Hyderabad through collaboration with Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
ü One Lac Sixteen Thousand children (6 months to 10 years) were vaccinated till 11th October 2018.
ü Training plan for the mass vaccination has been completed for Karachi, while it is in process for other parts of the Province.
ü Plan to import conjugated vaccine for left over vaccination is in process with Federal Government and Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan.
ü Tentative plan has been approved for further mass vaccination against Typhoid to be started from January 2019.
ü After mass campaign against Typhoid the vaccine will be incorporated in routine immunization.
ü 24000 Chlorine tablets were distributed among the affected community to prevent water borne diseases.
ü Health education imparted to affected community and in Schools along with distribution of Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material through Lady Health Workers and other Health Staff on typhoid and water borne diseases.
ü General Practitioners have also been sensitized and up-dated regarding drug resistant Typhoid, irrational use of antibiotics and water borne diseases.
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ü Orientation workshops regarding prevention of Typhoid and water borne diseases for Lady Health Workers and their supervisors from affected areas were carried out to trickle down the information at community level.
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Regarding measures taken by the department to fight against Naegleria meningitis it is to state that the control of Naegleria Fowleri Infection (NFI) is the basic responsibility of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board because this disease has ‘no cure’ but ‘prevention’ which can only be achieved through chlorination of water and other measures for leak proof supply of water.
Hence, the role of Health Department is very limited only to impart health education, conduct public awareness sessions through print & electronic media for maintaining hygiene and to share the chlorination of water status with Karachi Water & Sewerage Board for taking pre-emptive measures so as to avoid deaths due to NFI.
However, Health Department has taken following steps for limiting the disease:
· Constituted a focal group to formulate strategy for control of NFI for water sampling and testing from Pumping Stations / Reservoirs of KW&SB., monitoring of swimming pools of hotels, farm houses and recreational water parks for assessing chlorination status and its functional system.
· To promote optimum chlorination of water in the community in accordance with WHO standards through KW&SB.
· To mitigate and implement the best preventive strategies specific for the disease.
· To investigate and verify the case and probable cause(s).
· To ascertain presence of more cases of Naegleria Fowleri in the area.
· To provide the awareness to public.
· Health Education regarding precautionary measures to the community and how to chlorinate the water tanks with tablets and bleaching powder.
*445. Mr. Arsalan Taj Hussain: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
(a) Eligibility criteria of a lady health worker along with number of same working in the province;
(b) Is there exist any school or training center that offers certification of lady health workers;
(c) If answer to (b) above is affirmative, the details thereof?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
a) Eligibility criteria of a Lady Health Worker (LHW) is as under:
· Female preferably married
· Permanent resident of the area for which she is recruited
· Having minimum eight year schooling preferably matriculate.
At present 21210 lady health workers are working in the Province.
b) There is no such school. However, the training of every LHW is conducted at respective her First Level Care Health Facility (FLCF) in 02 phases. Phase-I consist of 03 months class room training with OPD exposure whereas, Phase-II consists of 09 months training in which every LHW has to work for 01 week at FLCF and for 03 weeks in her community.
c) As above.
*447. Mr. Arsalan Taj Hussain: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
Number of licensed pharmacies in the province along with and it mechanism to verify the presence of a qualified cum licensed pharmacist at the pharmacies?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
District wise number of pharmacies in the Province of Sindh are mentioned here as under:
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Sr.#
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District
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No. of Registered Medical Stores
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1.
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Karachi Division (6 Districts)
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3837
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2.
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Shaheed Benazirabad
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337
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3.
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Sanghar
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626
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4.
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Badin
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344
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5.
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Tharparkar
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151
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6.
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Hyderabad
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312
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7.
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Matiari
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180
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8.
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Tando Allahyar
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111
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9.
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Tando Muhammad Khan
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52
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10.
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Mirpurkhas
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329
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11.
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Umerkot
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233
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12.
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Thata
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185
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13.
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Sujawal
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150
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14.
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Dadu
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142
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15.
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Jamshoro
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175
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16.
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Sukkur
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429
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17.
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Khairpur
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256
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18.
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Naushero Feroze
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406
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19.
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Ghotki
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162
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20.
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Larkana
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374
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21.
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Kamber Shahdadkot
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247
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22.
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Shikarpur
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197
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23.
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Jacobabad
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130
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24.
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Kashmore
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169
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TOTAL
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9534
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Mechanism to verify the presence of a qualified cum licensed Pharmacist at Pharmacies
The mechanism to verify the presence of a qualified / licensed Pharmacist at pharmacies is as under:
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Under Rule 17 (1) (a) (iii) of Sindh Drug Rules 1979 for the selling of drugs, Pharmacist is mandatory and under Amended Rule 18 (ii) (ia) on 27th April 2010 it is mandatory that valid Registration Certificate of the Pharmacist issued from Pharmacy Council of Sindh shall be displayed at prominent part of the licensed premises and it is the duty of Drug Inspector to inspect, not less than twice a year, all establishments of drugs which are licensed for sale. During inspection if the Drug Inspector detects any contravention / violation of above said Rules including absence of qualified person cum licensed Pharmacist at the pharmacies, he refers the case to the provincial Quality Control Board Sindh for directives. The Provincial Quality Control board Sindh decides the fate of the case and grant permission for prosecution in the honorable Drug Court Sindh Karachi.
*564. Mr. Khurram Sher Zaman: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
What is the function of health services director for Karachi?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
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The directorate of Health Services Karachi is monitoring and supervising various preventive, curative and development activities in 06 districts of Karachi division in well-coordinated manner through respective District Health Officer and Town Health Officers.
The detail is as under:
-: Monitoring & supervision of preventive services viz Immunization, health education, control of Malaria, Hepatitis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Tuberculosis, Naegleria etc.
-: Mitigation response in case of disasters like rain, earth quake, heat stroke and flood (by providing health services to flood affected IDPs).
-: Supervision and monitoring of 08 Major Hospitals, 17 secondary care health facilities, 82 other facilities and 285 EPI centers and staff working therein.
-: Collection & maintenance of patient’s and disease’s data, its analysis and initiation of action as per disease pattern.
-: Vigilance and actions on illegal clinics, un-authorized medical stores and non-registered blood banks.
-: To ensure timely procurement and availability of medicines and allied items.
-: To prepare new development schemes regarding health facilities falling under the jurisdiction of Director Health Karachi.
-: Monitoring and supervision of activities conducted through Expanded Program on Immunization, National Program for Family Planning & Primary Health Care, Tuberculosis Control Program, Malaria Control Program, Hepatitis Prevention & Control Program etc.
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-: Public awareness and health education to the masses on different issues of public health importance.
*583. Mr. Khurram Sher Zaman: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
(a) Is it a fact that 46 sexually transmitted infection centers under Sindh Aids Control Program are non-functional;
(b) If answer to (a) above is affirmative, the reasons thereof?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
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a) No, it is not fact. All 46 sexually transmitted infection centers under Sindh Aids Control Program are functional.
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b) Not Applicable.
*613. Mr. Khurram Sher Zaman: Will the Minister for Health be pleased to state:-
(a) Is it a fact that department has assured that other vaccines procured are not of substandard quality as was the case regarding Hepatitis;
(b) If answer to (a) above is affirmative, the details thereof?
ANSWER
DR. AZRA FAZAL PECHUHO, MINISTER FOR HEALTH:
a). Neither the Hepatitis nor the other vaccines used by the department are of substandard quality. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of Health Department, Government of Sindh provides routine immunization vaccines which are WHO pre-qualified and procured / supplied by Federal EPI Cell, Islamabad
b). As above.
KARACHI: G.M UMAR FAROOQ
DATED THE 29TH JANUARY, 2019 SECRETARY
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF SINDH
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