Senate calls for abolishing federal health, education ministries

ISLAMABAD: Calling the creation of federal health and education ministers as violation of the Constitution, Chairperson of Senate’s Functional Committee on Devolution Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur has recommended abolishing health and education ministers.

Presiding over the meeting of Senate Functional Committee on Devolution at Parliament House, Senator Zarqa Suharwardy termed the recreation of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) a mere violation of the constitution and recommended that the ministry should be abolished, as health subject fall under the purview of provinces.

The Senator maintained that despite having so many departments, the education standards in the country have not improved, and their replication is only creating a burden on the exchequer. She recommended the devolution of the education ministry as per the guidelines of the 18th Amendment.

The meeting was attended by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Senator Poonjo Bheel, Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Secretary NHSR&C Nadeem Mahbub, Chairman HEC Mukhtar Ahmed, and other senior officials from relevant departments.

Federal Health secretary Nadeem Mahbub briefed the committee that the Ministry of Health was abolished in 2010 after the 18th Amendment and recreated in 2013 with the ambition to create coordination between provinces and the federal government on health matters, and to extend support to provinces in various immunization programs.

He maintained that currently 32 departments fall under the ambit of Nation Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) including PIMS, PMDC, National Institute of Health, and the Sehat Saulat Program.

Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro stated that NHSR&C was created on flimsy grounds as coordination could be extended through the Council of Common Interest.

PM Coordinator on National Health Services Dr Mukhtar Bharath informed that the prime minister has tasked the ministry with its devolution, and efforts are underway in that regard. Additionally, officials from the Ministry of Education informed the committee that the Ministry of Education was abolished and recreated in 2011 with the aim to maintain necessary standards of education and extend collaboration to provinces in this regard. Currently, the Federal Ministry of Education regulates 432 educational institutions and 29 departments.