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Concern voiced over closure of family planning outlets

KARACHI: A meeting of the Karachi-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have expressed concern at the closure of 50 service outlets in the metropolis from January 1 denying a large number of continuous users of family planning and reproductive health services and benefits of treatment of minor ailments to poor women and children of disadvantaged communities.

The meeting held at the headquarters of the All Pakistan Women Association (APWA) here on Monday, maintained that this untimely action which is due to the impact of stoppage of National Trust for Population Welfare (NATPOW) funding to population welfare projects of NGOs, has rendered 247 low-paid employees jobless by the end of Ramazan depriving approximately 2,470 related persons of Eid happiness.

It further maintained that the abrupt closure of these service outlets will adversely affect the population growth rate showing downward trend and all inputs made so far in the operational areas of these outlets will go waste.

The participants of the meeting appealed to the government to take serious notice of the issue and restore the grant of NGOs with immediate effect.

Besides APWA, the meeting was attended by the representatives of the Lyari Community Development Project, the Poor Patient Welfare Society, the North Karachi Community Council, the Anjuman-e-Itehad-e-Baluch Nujawan, the FPAP, the PAVHNA and the Behbood. APP