"A huge amount is being used to run polio immunization drives in the country but no positive results are achieving from such campaigns," Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Health Mrs Kalsoom Parveen observed this chairing the meeting.

She said the concerned officials of EPI are non professional who totally failed to successfully run the polio immunization drives and unable to control the spread of polio virus.

She constituted a four members sub-committee with Senator Mrs. Rehana Yahya Baloch as chairperson to evaluate the performance and utilization of funds in 12 national health programmes.

The sub-committee has been asked to submit its report to the main body on first week of May with given task to check any misuse of funds given by donor agencies to these programmes.

She said that concerned officials of Ministry of Health should hold talks with the leaders of Young Doctors Association (YDA), who are on strike in federal government hospitals to fulfil their demands.

The committee also takes notice of slow pace of drugs registration process in the ministry of health and directed the concerned authorities to start the registration of pending drugs as early as possible.

It also directed the ministry of health to replace those staff members who are intentionally creating hurdles in the registration of medicines for petty gains.

The committee directed the ministry to re-advertise 500 vacant posts of medical and para medical staff of Sheikh Zayyed Hospital Quetta within 15 days and give priority to locals.

The committee decided to meet Chairman Implementation Committee of 18th Amendment Senator Raza Rabbani to give suggestion to keep some health components functioning at provinces with the Cabinet Division or Planning Commission for definite period as provinces are not in position to successfully run these components.

The committee directed the head of TB control programme to make arrangement of fully equipped mobile laboratory with TB test Facility for people living in far-flung areas of Balochistan.

Earlier, Secretary Health Nargis Sethi informed the committee that the federal government is not in position to accept the demands of young doctors association as the ministry has already raised their salaries in near past.

Programme Manager EPI Dr Altaf Bosan apprised the committee that district health officials are responsible for smooth functioning of immunization drives.

He said the officials of EPI are trying their level best to immunize maximum number of children particularly in far-flung areas of the country.

Officials of TB control Programme assured the committee that two laboratories will be up-graded in Balochistan while other medical services will also be increased.

The meeting was apprised that around 9,500 applications for the registration of medicines are pending with the ministry of health.