Health reforms producing results, says Shahbaz

LAHORE
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that work will have to be carried out for the provision of best and quality facilities of public health to the people of the province. He said that situation had improved due to implementation of Punjab Health Reforms road map.
He said a remarkable improvement had taken place in the provision of necessary medicines to basic and rural health centres however still there is long journey. He said the institutions concerned would have to improve the situation through collective efforts for the provision of best treatment facilities in hospitals and basic and rural health centres. He said that DCOs and EDOs Health showing good performance regarding implementation of Punjab Health Reforms road map would be encouraged while inefficient officials would be held accountable. He said there was a need to improve sanitary arrangements in the hospitals and collective efforts were required for the improvement of public health facilities.
Addressing a meeting here Tuesday which reviewed the pace of implementation of Punjab Health Reforms road map, the chief minister said that provision of proper treatment facilities in hospitals was the responsibility of DCOs and they should pay regular visits to hospitals for this purpose. He said that Health Department was being bifurcated for provision of better health facilities to the citizens. He directed that provision of medicines to the patients should be ensured in hospitals and digital monitoring system should be evolved regarding stock and supply of medicines to the patients. He said that data of patients should be collected through electronic monitoring while lady health workers training should also be arranged.
He reprimanded DCO Khushab for poor performance and said there was no room for inefficient officers. He said the officers not performing their duties with a sense of responsibility would be held accountable. He said that biometric system had been set up for improving attendance in hospitals. He directed that action should be taken without any discrimination against those leaving the office without permission of competent authority. He said that complete audit of stock of medicines and their utilisation in hospitals was essential with the help of information technology.
Special representative of British Department for International Development Sir Michael Barber said that encouraging results had been achieved from health reforms road map under the leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and health sector was improving. Commendation certificates were given to three lady health visitors for good performance.
gas power plant: A delegation of General Electric Company led by its Chief Executive Officer Steve Bolze alled on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, here Tuesday and discussed gas-based energy projects in the province.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that strenuous efforts had been made to give a practical shape to gas power projects in the province and under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif all the matters relating to these projects had been finalised speedily and transparently.
He said that completion of gas-based power projects would result in availability of cheap electricity to the people of the country. He said that foundation stone of two gas power projects had been laid and after Bhikki and Haveli Bahadur Shah, the foundation stone of gas power plant at Baloki would also be laid soon. He said that a total of 3,600 megawatt electricity would be added to the national grid with the completion of these three projects. He said that energy projects being set up in Punjab would benefit the whole country. He said that gas-based power projects would prove to be game changer in energy sector.
He said that besides ensuring transparency and high standard of these projects, a new example of saving of Rs110 billion of public money had also been set. He said the Punjab government was setting up a gas-based power plant in Bhikki, Sheikhupura with its resources while federal government was establishing power plants at Haveli Bahadur Shah and Baloki. He said that all matters relating to gas power plants had been completed in a highly transparent manner and the bidding process was unprecedented in the history of the country regarding its transparency. He said these gas power plants would be completed by the end of 2017 and a total of 3,600 megawatt electricity would be added to the national grid.
He said that latest turbine technology was being used for the gas power plants which was highly efficient and would be a trendsetter for energy projects. He said that tireless efforts made by the PML-N government were bearing fruit and there was no other example of transparency and speedy completion of projects worth billions of dollars in the history of Pakistan. Referring to solar project, he said the Punjab government had completed a 100 megawatt solar power plant at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in a highly transparent manner and achieved the rate of 14 cent per unit. He said that in view of this rate of the Punjab government, the federal department concerned was also forced to fix solar power rate at 14.1 cent per unit. He said these plants would be among the best power plants of the world.
Chief Executive Officer General Electric Company Steve Bolze paid rich tributes to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the speedy and transparent work on power projects as well as metro bus service for provision of modern transport facilities to the masses and said that his tireless efforts were acknowledged by all. He said that the matters regarding gas-based projects were to be disposed of in two years but under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif this process had been completed within a short period of six months. He said a high standard and transparency had been ensured in gas power projects for which the chief minister should be congratulated.