CDGL dispensaries to be attached with teaching hospitals

LAHORE

Dispensaries of the City District Government Lahore will be attached with the teaching hospitals as filter clinics. This step will help to reduce patients' rush and workload in the hospitals and further improve the working of the hospitals.

A meeting in this connection was held under the chairmanship of Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Najam Ahmad Shah at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday, according to a handout issued on Saturday. Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah Hospital Prof. Mehmood Shaukat, Additional Secretary Development Malik Zaheer Abbas, Chief Planning Officer Health Department Abdul Haq Bhatti, EDO Health Lahore Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, District Officer Health Dr. Muhammad Saeed and other officers attended the meeting.

Najam Ahmad Shah said after the attachment of dispensaries with the teaching hospitals, better health facilities would be available to the people at local level for the common diseases. Moreover, patients with minor diseases will not have to visit the tertiary hospitals. He further said dispensaries located in the adjoining area of the teaching hospital would be attached as filter clinics where quality healthcare facilities and services of consultants would be available to the patients. He said patients who needed further investigation and treatment would be referred from the filter clinics to the hospital concerned.

It was informed that initially dispensaries located in the catchment areas of the Jinnah Hospital were being attached with it as filter clinics for which arrangements were being made. A written agreement will be made between EDO Health Lahore and Jinnah Hospital’s Administration. This decision will reduce the hardships of the patients waiting for their turn in long queues in the OPDs of the hospitals. Secretary Health Najam Ahmad Shah revealed that the main purpose of all the decisions is to ensure best healthcare facilities for the patients.

drugs to hospitals: Chief Secretary Punjab Khizar Hayat Gondal has directed that provision of free medicines and best medical facilities be ensured to all the hospitals of province saying no negligence will be tolerated in this regard. He said it is the responsibility of district officers to achieve the targets set for improvement in health and education sectors. He also ordered Commissioners and DCOs to personally monitor both sectors and submit a performance report on monthly basis.

He issued these directions while presiding over a video link meeting to review the provision of healthcare facilities at hospitals in the province, especially in South Punjab, at the civil secretariate on Saturday, according to a handout. DCOs and EDOs (Health) of Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Bhakkar gave briefings to the meeting through video link. Adviser on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Secretary Health, Secretary Finance, Commissioner DG Khan and officers concerned attended the meeting. Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary said like cities, provision of best medical facilities for people of rural areas is the top priority of the government. He said all resources are being provided for the best healthcare to the people at their doorstep. He mentioned that attractive salary package and other benefits are being given to the doctors serving in the far-flung areas so that they could work with more dedication and commitment. He added that no negligence and laxity will be tolerated for provision of medical facilities to the people. He directed the DCOs to ensure 100 percent utilisation of funds for provision of missing facilities to the hospitals and construction of dangerous schools buildings and complete these tasks as early as possible. He said performance in health and education sectors would also be reviewed at the Commissioners' conference to be held in the end of this month.