The Ministry of Health officials said that among 30 high TB burden countries, Pakistan ranked 5th which shows serious efforts are needed for eradication of TB. The committee directed the authorities concerned to present all the reports pertaining to TB control programmes in the next meeting, besides the details of funds given to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for eradication of TB.
The committee was told that the Global Fund has given $144 million for TB programmes from 2018 to 2019, while $520 million are needed to control TB in the country. Besides, the government also provides 7 percent funds for this every year. The committee also expressed anger over rampant corruption and misuse of vehicles purchased and donated by different international organizations by medics who can be seen roaming around in expensive vehicles as heads of the TB control programme in every district of the country.
The in-charge of TB control programmes, according to the members of the committee, are seen more focused on enjoying the resources of the TB programmes at the expense of the international NGOs meant for control of the disease instead of utilising the funds properly.
The committee proposed to keep a check on the medics who are heading TB programmes across the country so that they be investigated whether the funds are properly utilised or just misused.
The committee members were skeptical of large scale corruption in the funds pouring in the country from abroad for prevention of the disease.
The committee also expressed concern over massive increase in prices of medicines as the government is not keeping a check on their prices despite terminating its health minister, which was booted out some months back after he miserably failed to control prices of medicines.
Dr Meher Taj Roghani said that doctors who have done MDs from either Afghanistan, Russia, China or any other country are freely practicing in the country without even bothering to qualify the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council test, which is mandatory for starting practice.
She said that there should be no double standard and the PMDC should start crackdown on the medics as qualified doctors who have studied medicine from far better countries are pushed against the wall under the pretext of PMDC test.