Murad calls for uncontroversial census

CM says if Centre doesn’t ensure everyone is counted, a few months later complaints will dent credibility of census

The Sindh chief minister demanded on Wednesday that the federal authorities should ensure that the ongoing population census was conducted in a transparent manner to avert compromising its credibility.

Murad Ali Shah was talking to reporters after unveiling the plaque of a PET scanner at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation’s Mehrunissa Medical Complex in Korangi.

The chief minister said he had conveyed his and others’ concerns about the transparency of the census in a letter to the Centre, but had yet to receive a response.

“I want them [the census staff] to count each and every individual, otherwise after four months later, people would be complaining that they were left out,” he added. “These complaints will affect the credibility of the census.”

PET scanner

The PET scanner at the SIUT Mehrunissa Medical Complex in Korangi will be the fourth one available in Karachi.  

A PET scan is an imaging test that helps a doctor to look for abnormalities, especially cancerous growth and cells in a patient’s body. Short-lived radioactive material is used in the imaging test, which is injected in the body of the patient for detecting the abnormalities.

A separate apparatus or reactor known as cyclotron is used for the preparation of radioactive material to be used in the PET scan for body imaging but the complete equipment is very expensive and requires well-trained staff for performing the scan.

Addressing the unveiling ceremony of the PET scanner, the chief minister praised the services of SIUT’s Dr Adeeb Rizvi.

Shah said that his mission was to serve the ailing people of Sindh and that was why he has declared a health emergency. He said the PET scanner project costing Rs80 million was being carried out on the recommendation of Dr Rizvi and 10 other scanners would be bought for other parts of Sindh.

Dr Rizvi while briefing the chief minister said during 2016, the SIUT had treated over three million patients, of them 46 percent belonging to Sindh. Besides, 5000 transplantation surgeries were carried out at the SIUT. “Our OPD remains open round the clock,” he added.

 

Malnutrition

The chief minister said that he has set up an organisation to address the issue of malnutrition and other health problems among children.

“All donor agencies are on board and with their support, the Sindh government will launch a comprehensive mother and child nutrition programme,” he added.

Replying to a question, Shah said the services at government hospitals had been improved through encouragement and monitoring. “We have provided medicines at our hospitals and reopened closed laboratories.” He added that the experience of the public-private partnership mode in running health facilities had made a visible difference.

The chief minister said that the vacant positions of all the universities operating in public sector have been filled through competitive process, except the Dow University which had been challenged in the court of law.