Karachi: Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho in a meeting on Implementation of Qadam ba Qadam Project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said that maternal deaths must be recorded and autopsy performed in every institute where maternal deaths occur.

This registry will be used to identify reasons for death and measures will be taken in order to rectify those reasons in future. Dr. Azra Pechuho added that ob/gyns across province in public and private sector must be trained in not letting their personal biases hinder their services.

Meeting was further informed that it poses great difficulty when patient wishes to utilise family planning services, but provider (or healthcare worker) convinces them not to.  Dr. Azra said that all members of society must be made aware and convinced that family planning is beneficial for everyone in community. Healthcare providers think that their commercial business will be affected adversely if they advise their patients on family planning methods but patient’s health is of primary importance. 

Dr. Azra said that sustainability of this system will be achieved through strength of will of all those who are willing to realise it and deliver human and health rights to women of this province and this country. Secretary Health Zulfiqar Shah, DG Health Dr. Juman Bahoto, representatives of Sindh Healthcare Commission, Pathfinder, WHO and BGMF attended meeting. Meeting was informed that this project will be providing healthcare access and family planning resources for post pregnancy and post abortion. This project will be implemented in all 4 provinces of Pakistan.

Acasus, Population Council, World Bank are also partners in this endeavour to bring Post Pregnancy Family Planning and Post Abortion Family Planning to forefront of healthcare in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.  It is also imperative that husband’s consent should not be a factor when a patient seeks family planning, whether this is IUD, birth control pills, self-injection or other safe contraceptive options. 

NIC should also not be a mandatory requirement, because many women are not so privileged as to have this documentation but they still deserve best of healthcare services and facilities.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 26 2022

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