Agenda on mother, child healthcare stressed

LAHORE

PARTICIPANTS at a seminar organised by Mir Khalilur Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS), Jang Group of Newspapers, agreed that all political parties of the country should follow a unanimous agenda to provide better health facilities to child and mother.

They said all the political forces should include this issue in their respective manifestos so that mother and child care activities could be promoted at higher level to save children and mothers.

Additional Secretary General PML-N Ahsan Iqbal, Health Specialist Dr Naeem-ud-Din, MNA and PML (Likeminded) leader Kashmala Tariq, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Munir Baloch, Head of Jamaat-e-Islami Women Wing Samia Raheel Qazi, MPA Sajida Mir, MPA Amina Ulfat, MPA Dr Asad Ashraf, Allama Raghib Naeemi, Dr Nadeem Ihsan of MQM and PML-Q leader Imran Masood were the noted speakers at the seminar. The seminar was hosted by MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi while Kashan Haider, Ali Imran and Shehzad Rauf assisted him.

In his opening remarks, Wasif Nagi said deaths of newborn babies and mothers have to be saved as a large number of infants in Pakistan lose their lives. He said same was the case with mothers who lose their lives during delivery due to non-availability of basic facilities. He said political leaders should adopt a unanimous agenda to counter this alarming threat which the country was facing at the moment.

Setting targets for 20 years, Ahsan Iqbal said in order to overcome this issue all the political forces should sign an agenda to root out this ill existed in the society.

Ahsan further said this issue should be included in the manifestos of all the political parties. Dr Naeem said policy-makers should think prior to their political agendas and interests to save children and mothers. He said by improving reproductive health many lives could be saved. He said focus should be given to mother and child health to secure future of the country. Kashmala Tariq said she had opposed the passage of a bill came in the house for allowing abortion at every clinic. She said the passage of that bill meant destruction of female lives. She said the couple should be given education regarding the issue before marriage. She said all fora should be utilised to promote awareness among the masses about child and mother health.

Hafiz Hussain said children who were being nourished with dry milk how could they become national builder. Samia Raheel said Europe had become fearful of Muslims due to increase of their population there. She said mother and child health needed special attention from every body but she said agendas should be set only by the people of Pakistan rather following any foreign agenda. Sajida Mir said more resources and energies were required to control diseases related to child and mother health. She said mother related issues should be included in the syllabus. Amina Ulfat said there was need to manage the population rather controlling it. She said media, civil society, politicians and NGOs should play their active role in controlling issues related to child and mother health.

Posted in: Lahore