Shehbaz highlights Pakistan’s healthcare challenges at WEF
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RIAYDH: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif terming global inequity in health sector as ‘first and foremost problem’ called upon bridging widening gap between Global South and Global North.
Expressing his views in session of World Economic Forum (WEF) regarding global health, he said that Covid-19 had exposed existing gaps largely between Global North and Global South in terms of provision of health facilities and distribution of vaccines. He said that climate change issue had also completely changed the landscape.
Pakistan was not responsible for any emissions in world, he said, adding but in year 2022, it witnessed the worst climate triggered floods which hugely devastated infrastructure and buildings and as consequently, they had to spend billions of rupees to rehabilitate affected people.
He said that for rehabilitation efforts, they sought costly loans. “Can developing country like Pakistan afford it?” He questioned and observed that for provision of health facilities, developing country like Pakistan required resources.
“Yawning gap between Global South and the Global North should be bridged,” he emphasised. He informed that as former Chief Minister, he established first kidney and liver hospital in Punjab which was probably one of best in Asia where poor patients were provided with free of cost treatment.
About Dengue outbreak in 2011 in province, he shared that phenomenon in health sector was one of biggest in world.
He acknowledged Bill Gates’ generosity during 2022 floods to support affected people of Pakistan. Meanwhile, PM met Managing Director International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva on sidelines of World Economic Forum. This was first meeting between PM and IMF Chief since his re-election.
He thanked Georgieva for her support to Pakistan in securing $ 3 billion Standby Arrangement from IMF last year. IMF MD appreciated leadership of PM Shehbaz for timely securing SBA last year.
Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 29 2024
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