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Friday March 29, 2024

Target set for public health reforms, says Shahbaz

Orders disciplinary action against MOs on leave without permission

By our correspondents
March 28, 2015
LAHORE
CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that targets have been set for the improvement of health care facilities and effective measures are being taken for their achievement.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting here Friday, which reviewed the pace of implementation of Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said an effective system of reward and punishment was of vital importance for achieving the targets of public health. He said the officers serving the people efficiently would be encouraged while inefficient officers had no right to stay on their posts.
He directed that attendance of medical officers and staff concerned in basic and rural health centres be ensured. He ordered stern disciplinary action against medical officers (MOs) proceeding on leave without permission of competent authority and warned that no leniency would be shown to the absentee medical officers and those leaving without permission. He said that 100 percent availability of 18 essential drugs be ensured in basic health centres while the targets fixed for making rural and basic health centers functional should be achieved at any cost. He directed that a comprehensive plan be evolved for outsourcing 100 basic health centres of the province.
He appreciated the performance of EDOs Health towards achieving the targets of Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap and announced a cash prize of Rs100,000 for EDO Health Sahiwal for the achievement of 100 percent targets and special prizes of Rs50,000 each for EDOs Health of Pakpattan and Attock on the achievement of 97 percent targets whereas he issued a warning to EDOs Health of Chiniot, Khushab, Bhakhar and Rawalpindi for their unsatisfactory performance.
He expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of Punjab Rural Support Programme and issued instructions for its improvement. He said that all-out resources would be provided for public health facilities while no effort would be spared in the provision of healthcare to the masses. He issued instructions for launching citizen feedback system regarding the steps taken under Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap.
Shahbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over 24/7 medical facilities in 150 basic health centres and said that institutional framework of all measures taken for the improvement of public health facilities was essential so that this programme could be continued smoothly. He directed that recruitments of vaccinators at union council level be completed till July 2015 while the scope of the measures taken regarding mother and child health should be expanded. The meeting decided that the ban on transfer of Health Department EDOs without the permission of the chief minister would continue as permanent posting of EDOs Health was of vital importance for effective implementation of Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap.
Sir Michael Barber said that Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap was being effectively implemented in the province under the leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
energy sector: Ambassador of Germany Dr Cyrill Nunn called on Shahbaz Sharif here Friday and discussed matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and promotion of cooperation in energy and other sectors.
Talking to the German Ambassador, the chief minister said Germany was big trade partner of Pakistan. He said the PML-N government was making sincere efforts for resolving energy crisis and it had been decided to set up three big projects for generation of 3,600 megawatt electricity in Punjab with gas.
He said the federal government would set up two projects of 2,400 megawatt while the Punjab government would establish a project of 1,200 megawatt. He said that work would be carried out speedily and transparently on these projects like other projects executed by the provincial government. He said these gas-based projects would start power generation by 2017. The chief minister invited German companies to collaborate in gas-based power generation projects and said that cooperation of German companies would be welcomed.
German Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn said that Germany wanted to promote its relations with Pakistan and a large business delegation of Germany would visit Pakistan next month.
TURKISH ENVOY
Ambassador of Turkey in Pakistan S Babur Girgin called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, here Friday. Matters of mutual interest, Pak-Turk relations and promotion of cooperation in different sectors were discussed in the meeting.
Talking to the Turk Ambassador, the chief minister said a number of Turk companies were making investment in various sectors in Punjab and Pak-Turk friendly ties were turning into useful economic relations. He said Turkey had supported Pakistan in every hour of need and Turk brethren had extended full assistance to the Pakistani people in the times of natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes. Turk Ambassador said that Turkey attached high importance to its relations with Pakistan and cooperation between the two countries would increase in future.