In an alarming revelation, Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho has acknowledged the dire state of the health department in the province, highlighting the severe shortage of doctors.
According to the minister, there is currently only one doctor available for every 7,500 people in Sindh, while the ideal ratio should be one doctor for every 1,500 individuals.
During a media interaction following her address at a seminar held at a private university in Karachi, Dr. Ezra Pechuho expressed her concern over the alarming shortage of medical professionals in the province.
She disclosed that approximately eight thousand doctors are currently serving in Sindh, which is woefully inadequate to meet the healthcare needs of the population.
The minister emphasized that the shortage of doctors has had detrimental consequences, particularly in the area of maternal health.
Despite the existence of laws pertaining to abortion in the country, Dr. Ezra Pechuho lamented that numerous mothers continue to lose their lives each year due to the involvement of ‘untrained’ midwives in the process.
Dr. Ezra Pechuho further underscored the detrimental impact of the rapidly growing population on various sectors, including employment, education, healthcare, and food security. The strain on the country’s economy has become increasingly evident, with the healthcare system bearing the brunt of the population surge.
‘8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities’
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Pakistan on Thursday launched the UNFPA’s global flagship report, the 2023 State of World Population (SWOP), in Karachi, Sindh.
The report, titled ‘8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices’, was launched globally in April 2023, presenting the latest trends about population growth or decline, fertility rates, reproductive health, family planning, and migration around the globe.
The SWOP cautions against controlling bodies to address demographic concerns. Family planning must not be used as a means for achieving fertility targets but as a tool for empowering individuals, and women should be able to choose if, when, and how many children they want to have.
With an average annual growth rate of 2.41 percent in Sindh, the total current population is 56.3 million (2022), estimated to grow to 95.7 million by 2050.
According to the SWOP report, Pakistan will be among the eight countries to account for half of the projected global population growth by 2050, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA. Pakistan’s population is currently estimated at 240.5 million and is projected to reach 403 million by 2050.
The launch in Sindh was held at SZABIST, with Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Population and Health as the Chief Guest.
The event was also attended by senior officials of the Government of Sindh, Consul Generals of different countries, President for SZABIST Shahnaz Wazir Ali, heads of national and international organizations, development experts, researchers, SZABIST faculties and students.
