4% GDP increase for health sector recommended

Islamabad: Expressing dismay over the pitiable health sector, speakers at a forum unanimously recommended the government to increase finance for health sector up to 4 per cent of the GDP, says a press release.

Speakers at the forum recommended increase in duration of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) to 5 years and add seven new subjects including behavioural health, bio ethics and research methodology.

The forum on ‘Health Sector Reform’ was organized by Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform, which was addressed by Najeeb Aslam, Dr. M Usman Awan (Group Coordinator),  Dr. Syed Tahir Hijazi, Abeeha Islam, Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Fazal –ur-Rahman, M Zafar Khan, Nasrullah Tareeen, Hassan Mughal, Asif Shafiq Lakhvi and Abdul Qadir along others addressed the forum.

They recommended that any public sector dental institution should be given the pilot programme to incorporate 5 years BDS education, besides changing the nomenclature of BDS to DDS.

Speakers said that dental education in Pakistan was not at par with international standards; hence they suggested that Dental Council should be separated from PMDC because internationally DCs are separate and separate budget of 1 per cent in PSDP be earmarked.

They recommended that any public sector medical Sector University in Pakistan having its own constituent dental college can be give a pilot project to start a five year BDS program & introduce 7 new discipline from 2016 or 17 onwards.

It is recommended that focus should be towards preventive medicine (NCD&MH) through public awareness & primary health care, besides strengthening family planning and health services.