QUETTA:Parliamentary Secretary Science and Technology Law and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi on Tuesday said that 298 out of 100,000 mothers died during childbirth in the province which increased twice the national average and much higher than any other province in Pakistan.
The situation of maternal mortality rate in Balochistan is still serious, still, a large number of maternal deaths from rural areas are not reported, due to which the analysis report and all the factors of maternal mortality are not properly identified. Therefore, if modern means of IT are used, it is possible to achieve the goals, she added.
She expressed these views while presiding over the meeting of the Provincial Task Force regarding maternal and prenatal death surveillance and response system organized by World Health Organization (WHO) and MNCH.
In the meeting, Standing Committee for Social Welfare, Women Development Department, Youth Affairs and Culture Ahmed Nawaz Baloch, Former Speaker Balochistan Assembly Raheela Hameed Durrani, MNCH Balochistan Coordinator Dr. Ismail Mirwani, Deputy Head Dr. Sarmad Saeed, UNICEF Balochistan representatives, Dr. Muhammad Humayun Amiri, WHO consultant, Anam Arif, DMS Civil Sandeman Hospital, Dr. Mehboob Qambrani, prominent gynecologist of Balochistan and other medical experts were also present.
Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi said that in all situations of recent floods, covid and natural disasters, most of the problems were related to the health of mother and child.
She said that sometimes a woman’s life was lost due to very minor negligence during childbirth, which could be prevented by the healthcare staff. As the Parliamentary Secretary of Health, she proposed an exchange program with other provinces which could be implemented to improve the healthcare system of Balochistan.
There is no alternative to human life, therefore, effective legislation is necessary to prevent maternal mortality, she said. In this regard, a comprehensive draft law was being prepared which would be presented in the Balochistan Legislative Assembly after scrutiny and approval from the relevant standing committee, she noted.
She said that the problems identified in the Provincial Task Force and the suggestions would be helpful in preventing maternal deaths.
Addressing the task force meeting, former Speaker Balochistan Assembly Raheela Hameed Durrani said that there was a need to improve the health facilities in Balochistan saying that in this regard joint measures should be taken with the close coordination of the members of the Assembly for improvement of health and education department of all constituencies.
The problem can be reduced to a great extent by bridging the shortage of trained manpower in the health sector, she underlined.
Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mir Ahmed Nawaz Baloch said in his address that they would continue to support legislation regarding the rights of the people of Balochistan and public health facilities.
There is a need to restore public trust in these institutions by improving the condition of government hospitals. We all have to work together to improve public trust in government institutions and steps must be taken to provide quality medical facilities to the people without discrimination, he added.
Earlier, Dr. Sarmad Saeed, Deputy Head of MNCH, gave detailed information on the objectives and goals of the Provincial Task Force.