Health programme ends

LAHORE:
The duration of National Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Program, devolved to the provincial government of Punjab after the18th amendment, has expired on June 30, which is yet to be renewed by the Punjab government. As MNCH program has not been renewed, the salaries of employees for the month of July have been withheld, while stipend of approximately 5,000 community midwives was also stopped. The employees, working on contract, have not been regularised since the devolution of the program. These employees were serving at 700 basic health units different districts of the province. The federal government had launched the MNCH program in 2007 to control growing maternal and child mortality rate, which achieved significant success during the period of its operation. After the devolvement of the MNCH program to the provincial government, the federal government had taken the responsibility to fund its operation till June 30, 2015. However, the Punjab government is yet to take responsibility and give extension to MNCH program and run its operation.