Better facilities to people top priority: secretary health

LAHORE:Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) Department Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said the provision of better health facilities to the people of Punjab is one of the first priorities. “We are trying our best to create facilities for the people in the government teaching hospitals and in this regard, the people of Punjab are being provided free treatment facilities through universal health insurance”.

He said this during his detailed visit to Lahore General Hospital (LGH) on Wednesday. Special Secretary (Development) Syed Wajid Ali Shah, Special Secretary (Operations) Shoaib Jadoon, Additional Secretary (Procurement) Khalid Parvaiz, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq Bhatti, Director Licensing Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Anwar Janjua, the members of procurement cell and inspection team were also present on this occasion.

Principal Ameer ud Deen Medical College and Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Prof Sardar Al Fareed Zafar and MS LGH Dr Khalid bin Aslam briefed the secretary about the details of the medical facilities being provided to the patients.

The secretary visited the Emergency and Pulmonology departments, Allied Health School, store rooms and other departments and reviewed the other medical facilities being provided to the patients including medicines. He also visited the Institute of Neurosciences and issued instructions to appoint the new principal of the Allied Health School attached to LGH immediately.

Special Secretary Development Syed Wajid Ali Shah also gave a presentation regarding the treatment of patients during the meeting at the Institute of Neurosciences. The secretary said that the medical facilities provided to patients are being reviewed in detail by visiting various government teaching hospitals of Punjab. “We are trying to improve the services in emergencies of government teaching hospitals across the province. All treatment protocols should be followed in the treatment of patients. We are trying to ensure safe treatment of patients and to meet the shortage of doctors in govt teaching hospitals of Punjab”.

He said that the visits to various government teaching hospitals would continue. “The advertisements are also being given in newspapers on a daily basis for the recruitment of additional health care staff”.

He said that MS should review the medical facilities provided to patients. “We will not tolerate any negligence in the treatment of patients in the government teaching hospitals and the availability of medicines in government hospitals is also being reviewed regularly”.