KARACHI:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that his government with focused efforts on children’ health has successfully brought a drastic reduction in child mortality rate from 104 to 46 per 1000 live births over a period of five years.
“These are not my figures but they were revealed in a UNICEF-supported survey – 2020,” said the CM.
This he said on Friday while talking to media just after attending a program of Child life Foundation organized to celebrate 100,000 telemedicine consultations in Sindh at Civil Hospital, said a statement.
The program was attended by Secretary Health Zulfiqar Shah, Childlife CEO Dr Ahson Rabani and others.
Syed Murad Ali Shah recalled that his government’s partnership with Childlife started in 2010 with the sole objective of improving children’ emergency care.
“By 2018 free emergency service was established in five government hospitals, Karachi and now no child in the city is more than 30 minutes away from world class, 24/7, free emergency services,” he said proudly.
The CM Sindh said that in 2019 nine Children emergency care centres were established in hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, Benazirabad, Larkana and Sukkur where more than 900,000 children were being treated annually.
The chief minister said that our partnership with Childlife Foundation has now translated into establishment of Telemedicine Satellite Centers to improve service at DHQs/THQs as 2/3rd of our population lives outside of major cities.
“In 2020 Telemedicine Service was extended to all districts of the province and from December 2022 it would further be extended to all THQs,” he said and went on saying by 2024 the services would be provided to all the Tehsils of the province.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the 100,000 telemedicine consultations milestone has been achieved. “Its impact is quality – consultation by Pediatric Emergency Medicine Specialists who are accessible round the clock.
“The telemedicine system avoids visits to major cities, saves critical time to treatment and a huge financial burden on parents.
To another question, the CM said that the prime minister had taken him into confidence on decision related to closure of markets by 7 or 8pm.
“I have directed commissioners, Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur to consult with the stakeholders so that the decision to close the market early in the evening could be implemented in the national interest,” he said.
Earlier, the chief minister visited the control room of the Telemedicine and witnessed the telemedicine procedure.
He said that once fiber optic cable was laid in rural areas the entire province would be connected through telemedicine systems.