Teaching hospital heads must have leadership qualities: minister

LAHORE : Caretaker Provincial Health Minister Prof Dr Javed Akram has said that the head of every teaching hospital should have the qualities of a leader because problems arise due to the weakness of the head in a government hospital.

He was addressing the 4th Vice Chancellors, Principals and MS Conference as a chief guest at the local hotel on Saturday. Health Secretary Punjab Ali Jan Khan, Special Secretary Raja Mansoor Ahmed, Additional Secretaries Zahida Azhar, Shahida Farrukh, Rashid Irshad, Dr Hafiz Shahid Latif, Ashfaq ur Rahman, Muhammad Waseem, Agha Nabil, Dr Asim Altaf, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq Bhatti, Deputy Secretaries and other officials participated were present in the conference. 

Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal. Vice-Chancellor King Edward Medical University Prof Dr Mahmood Ayaz, Vice-Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Prof Dr Masood Sadiq, Vice-Chancellor Nishtar Medical University Prof Dr Rana Altaf, Vice-Chancellor Faisalabad Medical University Prof Dr Zafar Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor University of Health Sciences Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore and Pro Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Prof Dr Junaid Rasheed participated in the conference. Principal Amir ud din Medical College Prof Dr Sardar Zafar Al Farid, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof Dr Ayesha Arif, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Dr Zohra Khanum, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Prof Dr Asif Bashir and other principals participated in the conference.

CEO Mayo Hospital Prof Dr Haroon Hamid, MD Children's Hospital Lahore Prof Dr Tipu Sultan, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, DG Nursing Punjab Munazza Cheema, MS Services Hospital Dr Munir Ahmed Malik, MS Ganga Ram Hospital Dr Aamir Saleem, MS General Hospital Dr Nudrat, MS Jinnah Hospital Dr Yahya Sultan, MS PIC Dr Tahsin and others participated.

The caretaker provincial health minister Prof Dr Javed Akram and Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan reviewed the performance of the government teaching hospitals during the conference.

Dr Javed Akram, while addressing the participants of the 4th Vice-Chancellors' Conference said that the Vice-Chancellors, Principals and MS, said that Punjab's health system is much better than other provinces. For the first time in history, so much attention is being paid to improve the health system of Punjab. Prof Dr Javed Akram further said that providing the best medical facilities to the patients coming to government hospitals is one of the top priorities. According to the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, provision of primary angioplasty facility to patients in all cardiology hospitals has proved to be a game changer. We have to serve humanity for the sake of Allah Almighty. We have a lot of hope from the officials of the government hospitals. Allah Almighty bestows blessings on the good intentions of a person. The Punjab Healthcare Commission has been ordered to take indiscriminate action against the accused. In Punjab, there is a weakness of the system for the existence of quacks. Quacks are playing with innocent humanity.

In government hospitals, doctors should consider each patient as a member of their family and treat them. Government hospitals should have guidelines and protocols for the treatment of patients. The revamping project is going on successfully in more than hundred government hospitals of Punjab. At present more than 15 thousand patients have undergone primary angioplasty in cardiology hospitals.

Prof Dr Javed Akram further said that medical facilities are being reviewed by visiting various government hospitals of Punjab. Ensure complete vaccination of health professionals in all government hospitals. An uninterrupted facility is being provided to the people in Punjab through the Health Facilitation Program. Every patient coming to government hospitals is VVIP for us. We are trying our best to complete HR in government hospitals. We are trying to provide better health facilities to the people of Punjab. Facilitation is being created for patients coming to government hospitals. Health screening will be a game changer in educational institutions of Punjab. We are trying to promote research in the medical institutions of Punjab. We are all like one family.

He further said that Punjab Chief Minister has seen the pain of the people in his heart. There is a big difference between a performer and a non-performer. A performer looks for opportunities for growth in everyday life. There is no greater asset for a person than service to humanity. A hardworking person never faces defeat.

The Department of Health is the department of doing good to people. A hardworking and honest person never faces any difficulty in life. The caretaker cabinet of Punjab has no agenda other than public service. We are trying our best to improve the conditions of government hospitals in Punjab.

Secretary Health Punjab Ali Jan Khan said that there should be no shortage of medicines in any government hospital in Punjab. The heads of the hospitals should play their role to make it easier for the patients. We are trying to improve the conditions of nursing colleges in Punjab. We will not tolerate lapses in service delivery in government hospitals. Shortage of HR in government hospitals is being met on priority basis. We are trying to revamp the infrastructure of government hospitals. We are also trying to ensure availability of biomedical and non-biomedical equipment in government hospitals. We are outsourcing various services for the convenience of patients visiting government hospitals.