The Sindh Cabinet has approved a bill to criminalize refusal to vaccinate children against vaccine-preventable diseases across the province. Out of about 40 items on the agenda, the cabinet approved the Sindh Immunization and Epidemic Control Act 2023 along with eight other health-related matters.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the meeting at CM House where provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and bureaucrats were present.
Meanwhile, the proposed law, the cabinet has been informed, aims to control epidemic diseases by ensuring mass vaccination across Sindh, serving as its primary objective.
Under the draft law, parents or guardians or vulnerable persons have the responsibility to bring children to vaccination centers on time to get them properly vaccinated.
If the local authority finds that a vulnerable person or parent or guardian has contravened the provisions of the Act, they will be served with a notice.
If the parents or guardians still do not comply with the law, the local authority will report to the First Class Magistrate for punishment under the law. The Cabinet approves the Bill and sends it to the Provincial Assemblies.
The health department told the cabinet that medico-legal services in Sindh were unorganized with no service structure, job description and guidelines. As a result, the criminal justice system faces problems in prosecutions and convictions.
The Cabinet was informed that the Health Department has decided to strengthen the medico-legal system on modern scientific basis.
The Cabinet approved a draft bill to regulate the medico-legal system by establishing the Sindh Medicolegal Directorate.
The Cabinet was also told that Adam, Karachi and the Health Department had requested an allocation of Rs 1.967 billion as grant over five years for setting up psychiatric facilities in three government hospitals – Basic Health Unit Dumba Goth, New Urban Health Center Gadap and New Karachi Urban Health Center Goharabad.
It was said that a large part of the country’s population suffered from some form of mental illness and, unfortunately, there was a dearth of psychiatrists and mental hospitals. The Cabinet approved the proposal to set up three psychiatric centres. The Sindh Cabinet has decided to hand over the Mehr Taluk Hospital to the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences for five years to upgrade the facility.
Another item on the agenda was related to Badin District Headquarters Hospital. The cabinet was told that the hospital was outsourced to Sindh Hospital in 2015 for 10 years.
Sindhu Hospital has requested that the existing budget allocation for the hospital is not enough and it needs to be increased. It was said that Ferguson prepared the hospital’s budget for the remaining four years and identified Rs 1.106 billion as a liability to be incurred by Indus Hospital as bridge financing. The Cabinet approved a four-year budget of Rs 9.06 billion.
The Cabinet approved the draft Sindh Faculty of Paramedical and Allied Health Sciences Act 2023 to establish a faculty to supervise and conduct paramedical courses and training.
It was said in the meeting that a delegation from Jahedan University of Medical Sciences visited Karachi recently. During the visit, the Iranian delegation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health, under which the latter agreed to conduct a short training course on entomological monitoring of dengue fever vectors for a delegation of entomologists from Zahedan University.
Considering the high prevalence of beta-thalassemia in Sindh and the success of the thalassemia disease control program in Iran, an expert team from the Sindh Health Department will visit universities in Iran to exchange experience on beta-thalassemia and explore areas for cooperation. The Cabinet approved the MoU.
Sprinter shocked to learn she has to pay rs. 68,000 tax on rs. 55,000 gifted spikes
Pakistani sprinter Sahib e Asra has been startled by the tax policy after she was asked to pay 68,000 rupees tax imposed on her spikes received as a gift.
Renowned Pakistani sprinter Sahib e Asra, who recently clinched two gold medals in the 34th National Games, found herself entangled in an unexpected tax dilemma when she received a pair of imported spikes as a generous gift.
The spikes, valued at Rs. 55,000, were a much-needed aid to help her resume training after her previous pair had worn out. However, to her surprise, Asra was asked to pay a staggering Rs. 68,000 in taxes on the gifted shoes.
According to the courier company, the tax was imposed by the authorities as a compulsory levy on imported items.
Expressing her astonishment in a heartfelt video message, the South Asian Games bronze medalist pleaded with the government to address this issue.
Asra said, “I was really surprised to see the tax amount because even the shoes cost less than this. These spikes are worth Rs. 55,000 and someone gifted me as a help. I don’t have any shoes as my old pair is expired now. I would like to request the government to please sort out this issue.”
