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Express Tribune
05-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Non-existent health regulation plagues Sindh
In 2005, the last health policy was formulated in Sindh, which concerned the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, improvement of maternal and child health, control of malnutrition, establishment of a district health system, regulation of private medical institutions, improvement of medical education, establishment of school health service, and control of illegal use of medicines. After the 18th Amendment, the formulation of a health and drug policy came under the purview of the provincial government. Unfortunately, however, despite the passage of 20 years, the Health Department of Sindh has not been able to formulate a new health policy. During this time, the people of the province have consistently been plagued by infectious diseases and seasonal epidemics including chikungunya, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria, dengue, HIV-AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis and Covid-19. Although trillions of rupees are released annually for the vertical programs of the Health Department, the lack of a health policy in the province is a clear reflection of the poor coordination among the stakeholders in the public health sector. According to Dr Ikram Sultan, Former Director of Health Karachi, the failure of the government to devise a health policy meant that the Health Department was running on an ad hoc basis, and no targets could be set for the elimination of diseases from the province. "Under a health policy, a time frame is set for the elimination of various diseases and then at the end of the year, the targets are reviewed to see what percentage of the disease has been controlled. Unfortunately, the people of Sindh are forced to live under the influence of various viruses every month and throughout the year. Establishing a healthy society has become a dream. Until or unless, data of diseases is made available, no target can be set for their treatment and eradication," said Dr Sultan, who went on to add that there was no drug policy in Pakistan either. On a separate note, Dr Greesh Kumar, a health expert highlighted the fact that in the absence of a health policy, the infrastructure of hospitals and primary health centers running under the Health Department was also severely affected. "Conversely, public health problems have worsened due to which the pressure of patients at large teaching hospitals has become unmanageable. Therefore, often times patients do not get proper medical attention," revealed Dr Kumar. According to a survey conducted by The Express Tribune, there is no centralized system for collecting data of patients and diseases across various government hospitals. At present, there is a Health Secretary in Karachi, Director of Health Karachi and other district hospitals however, the second important secretariat of the Health Department is established in Hyderabad, which is named the Director General of Health Sindh. The surprising part is that in order to attend the meeting held in the DG office, the staff members have to travel to Hyderabad, which wastes time and fuel. On the other hand, no steps are being taken to improve the healthcare services and facilities at hospitals running under public-private partnerships. Where on the one hand there is a dearth of modern technology, on the other hand the Health Department is constantly facing a shortage of medical staff. Furthermore, there is a lack of government-level training to adapt the staff to modern requirements while no medical research centers are available to address health problems at the primary level. Hence, a strong health policy is essential for the establishment of a healthy society. Not only will a health policy expedite the eradication of diseases but it will also improve the overall public healthcare system in Sindh.
Express Tribune
10-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Meningitis vaccine shortage bedevils healthcare
Ever since local vaccine production halted in Pakistan, the country has relied heavily on imports to reach its disease prevention targets. However, every now and then, procurement issues instigate a shortage of vaccines in the local market, paving the way for profiteers to loot both travelers and patients. A similar quandary befell locals in Karachi, who recently faced a shortage of the meningitis vaccine. Arsalan, a 19-year-old receiving treatment for meningitis at a hospital in North Nazimabad, had been suffering from a fever for several days. After a check-up at a local clinic, the doctor referred him to a hospital for further evaluation, where tests confirmed that he was suffering from meningitis. The doctors recommended a meningitis vaccine, which was unavailable at regular medical stores. After many unsuccessful attempts to find the vaccine, the family eventually located it at a wholesale market for Rs10,000. "Being financially constrained, we had to take out a loan to purchase the vaccine. The government must make the vaccine available in public hospitals," urged his family. Apart from patients, the shortage also impacted pilgrims planning to go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. A month ago, the Saudi government made the meningitis vaccine mandatory for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees. This year, 179,210 pilgrims are expected to go for Hajj under an agreement between the Pakistani and Saudi governments, with hundreds of thousands more visiting Saudi Arabia for Umrah during the months of Shaban and Ramazan. However, if the Saudi authorities had not revoked the requirement for the meningitis vaccine, the 54,000 doses imported by the Pakistani government would have been insufficient for the large number of pilgrims. "Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by viruses and different types of bacteria. The disease is mostly viral, but it can also be caused by the tuberculosis (TB) germ. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, loss of balance, stiff neck, severe headache, and vomiting," explained Dr Akram Sultan, Former Director of Health Karachi. Dr Sultan confirmed that the Saudi government's decision to mandate the meningitis vaccine for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees led to an unexpected surge in its demand, causing a shortage of the vaccine in Pakistan. "Pakistan does not manufacture any vaccines locally and relies entirely on imports. A few months ago, the meningitis vaccine was available for Rs4,000, but the government recently imported it through two multinational companies, setting the retail price at Rs6,000. However, it is being sold in the black market at prices between Rs8,000 and Rs12,000," revealed Dr Sultan. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Asim Rauf, told the Express Tribune that the Saudi authorities have now revoked the vaccination requirement and issued a notification accordingly. "The Saudi government has retracted its requirement for the meningitis vaccination for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan. The order, initially issued on January 7, required airlines operating at all Saudi airports to enforce this rule, which has now been suspended. However, the General Authority of Civil Aviation released a circular on February 6, 2025, confirming that the requirement for a polio vaccine for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees was still in effect," said Rauf.
Express Tribune
09-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Shortage of meningitis vaccine bedevils healthcare
Ever since local vaccine production halted in Pakistan, the country has relied heavily on imports to reach its disease prevention targets. However, every now and then, procurement issues instigate a shortage of vaccines in the local market, paving the way for profiteers to loot both travelers and patients. A similar quandary befell locals in Karachi, who recently faced a shortage of the meningitis vaccine. Arsalan, a 19-year-old receiving treatment for meningitis at a hospital in North Nazimabad, had been suffering from a fever for several days. After a check-up at a local clinic, the doctor referred him to a hospital for further evaluation, where tests confirmed that he was suffering from meningitis. The doctors recommended a meningitis vaccine, which was unavailable at regular medical stores. After many unsuccessful attempts to find the vaccine, the family eventually located it at a wholesale market for Rs10,000. "Being financially constrained, we had to take out a loan to purchase the vaccine. The government must make the vaccine available in public hospitals," urged his family. Apart from patients, the shortage also impacted pilgrims planning to go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. A month ago, the Saudi government made the meningitis vaccine mandatory for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees. This year, 179,210 pilgrims are expected to go for Hajj under an agreement between the Pakistani and Saudi governments, with hundreds of thousands more visiting Saudi Arabia for Umrah during the months of Shaban and Ramazan. However, if the Saudi authorities had not revoked the requirement for the meningitis vaccine, the 54,000 doses imported by the Pakistani government would have been insufficient for the large number of pilgrims. "Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by viruses and different types of bacteria. The disease is mostly viral, but it can also be caused by the tuberculosis (TB) germ. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, loss of balance, stiff neck, severe headache, and vomiting," explained Dr Akram Sultan, Former Director of Health Karachi. Dr Sultan confirmed that the Saudi government's decision to mandate the meningitis vaccine for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees led to an unexpected surge in its demand, causing a shortage of the vaccine in Pakistan. "Pakistan does not manufacture any vaccines locally and relies entirely on imports. A few months ago, the meningitis vaccine was available for Rs4,000, but the government recently imported it through two multinational companies, setting the retail price at Rs6,000. However, it is being sold in the black market at prices between Rs8,000 and Rs12,000," revealed Dr Sultan. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Asim Rauf, told the Express Tribune that the Saudi authorities have now revoked the vaccination requirement and issued a notification accordingly. "The Saudi government has retracted its requirement for the meningitis vaccination for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan. The order, initially issued on January 7, required airlines operating at all Saudi airports to enforce this rule, which has now been suspended. However, the General Authority of Civil Aviation released a circular on February 6, 2025, confirming that the requirement for a polio vaccine for Umrah pilgrims and Hajj attendees was still in effect," said Rauf.
