Sindh's PPP govt sets new benchmarks in maternal, child healthcare

KARACHI - Sindh Government Spokesperson Sukhdev Hemnani on Saturday said that sustained investment by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in maternal and child healthcare is delivering measura-ble results, with Sindh increasingly setting benchmarks in public healthcare. 'Sindh's neonatal mortality rate has declined to 2.9pc, against the national average of 5.4pc. Since 2010, Sindh's partnership with ChildLife has transformed paediatric emergency care, with over one million children treated annually through emergency rooms across the province,' Hemnani said. He said modern paediatric emergency facilities have been established at nine major teaching hospitals, backed by a 24/7 telemedicine network covering all 105 tehsils of Sindh. The objective was to ensure that every child, including those in remote areas, has access to quality emergency care within 30 minutes, round the clock and free of cost. Coalition partners hold key talks amid differences over new provinces 'These outcomes are recognized by independent international assessments. The US-based PALISI Global Health study recorded mortality among critically ill children at Civil Hospital Karachi and Sheikh Zayed Children Hospital Larkana at just 1.2pc, compared with 1.4pc at Aga Khan University Hospital and an average of 6.3pc across comparable facilities in 19 countries.' Hemnani added that the Children's Emergency at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi has achieved the highest 5/5 SafeCare Quality Level, while specialised paediatric and neonatal care has been further in-stitutionalised through the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN). Yemeni forces strike Houthi positions in Mocha, Taiz 'Our focus begins even before a child is born. Through the Mamta Programme, more than one million pregnant and lactating women have been enrolled, while Sindh is simultaneously working through tar-geted interventions to tackle malnutrition, stunting and maternal nutrition,' he said. 'We recognise that serious challenges remain and much more needs to be done, but the progress is significant, measurable and independently recognised,' Hemnani said. Hemnani said this progress reflects the vision of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the commitment of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah to make quality healthcare accessible to every family. Sindh's emerging public healthcare model is one not only for fellow provinces to follow, but for the wider region to learn from,' Hemnani added. CM Bugti says Balochistan fight will go on until the last terrorist is gone Tags: sindhpppgovt setsbenchmarks