Emergency services in hospitals being improved: minister

LAHORE: Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said the government is trying its best to improve the conditions of government hospitals, adding the government is also taking steps to improve emergency services.

The minister was speaking at a meeting held here on Monday. During the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique made a detailed review of sanitation, waste management, supply of medicines, revamping, installation of new air-conditioners and other issues in government hospitals.

The revamping project in government hospitals is being completed on war footing. Further improvements are being made to the health insurance program. The facility of health insurance program to the people of Punjab will continue without interruption. We will not tolerate even one percent interruption in the supply of medicines in the government hospitals, the minister said.

“Heads of government hospitals should ensure sanitation arrangements at all costs. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz wants to serve the people like her elders. The government is also taking steps to improve emergency services. Air ambulance service will be the biggest and first facility for the people of Punjab. Despite the difficult conditions, the government wants to provide better health facilities to the people. A state of the art cancer hospital in Lahore is nothing short of a dream. Together we will improve the health system,” the minister said.

The Department of Health is doing human rights work. We have started a series of visits to government hospitals, he added. Secretary Health Punjab Ali Jan Khan expressed his views and said that according to the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, SOPs are being implemented in government hospitals.

The CM has already presented the plan for the next five years. Reforms are being introduced to improve health systems. The main objective of all our efforts is to provide convenience to the people, he said.

Special Secretaries Syed Wajid Ali Shah and Raja Mansoor Ahmad, Additional Secretaries Hafiz Dr Shahid Latif, Zahida Azhar, Deputy Secretaries and other officers were also present through video link conference.

CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razzaq, COO Shamshad Ali Khan, CFO Bilal Butt, Director Procurement Muhammad Muneeb, Director IT Muhammad Khurram Iqbal and other officers participated in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Khawaja Salman Rafique presided over a meeting in the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education. Through video link conference, Principal Sahiwal Teaching Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Imran Hasan, MS Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, XEN Buildings Sahiwal and other officers participated.

During the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique reviewed the establishment of Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology, transfer of DHQ to Teaching Hospital, increase of 100 to 200 beds in Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, a lab, a teaching hospital revamping, nursing schools, colleges, hostels and new general hospital were reviewed in detail.

The minister was angry with the officers concerned for slow progress of Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology and other projects. He said at all cost, Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology should be completed by April 30. Labour should work at Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology in three shifts not double.

“We will visit soon to review the ongoing progress of the Institute of Cardiology. All concerned officers should work on fast track. There is no dearth of funds from the Department of Health regarding Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology and Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology. An inquiry will be conducted into the delay in the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology project,” the minister said. He said that the ongoing health projects in Sahiwal, Wazirabad and Gujranwala should be completed in time.