Think tank on improving health system soon

LAHORE: The first meeting of the Health Advisory Committee was held in the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care here on Friday which was chaired by Punjab Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir.

Khawaja Salman Rafique while expressing his views during the meeting said that the government was going to create a think tank to improve health system. ‘We are bringing flagship programmes at DHQ, BHUs and THQ level. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is thinking about improving the health sector the most’, he added.

Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the people of Punjab were lucky to have a public Chief Minister like Maryam Nawaz. ‘At present, providing better health facilities to the people of Punjab has become the top priority of the chief minister. Today, many brains are sitting for the improvement of the health system. Funds worth billions of rupees will be provided for revamping government hospitals in the next five years,’ he added. He further said today's meeting was an excellent and serious effort of the chief minister for improving the health system.

Secretary Health Punjab Ali Jan Khan, Secretary C&W Sohail Ashraf, KEMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mehmood Ayaz, University of Child Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Sadiq, and other officers were present. Health professionals Dr Zahid Parvez, Dr Arooj Gilani, Saira Iftikhar and others attended the meeting. The ministers reviewed the basic measures to improve the health system during the meeting. Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan also gave a detailed briefing in this regard.

Meanwhile, in the light of the orders of the Lahore High Court, the fifth important meeting of the committee formed by the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education was held at Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) here Friday.

Punjab Minister for the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired the meeting. In the meeting, FJMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, Special Secretary Raja Mansoor Ahmed, Additional Technical Secretary of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Dr Hafiz Shahid Latif and others participated.

During the meeting, the action plan was reviewed in the light of the orders of the Lahore High Court. The committee members welcomed the court orders to improve the conditions of government hospitals.

Kh Salman Rafique said that the LHC orders would be implemented 100 percent with reference to improving the conditions of government hospitals. ‘There will be no difficulty for patients in government hospitals. A sub-committee headed by Punjab Institute of Cardiology CEO Prof Dr Anjum Jalal was formed. The sub-committee will review the medical facilities for private practice in government hospitals and submit final recommendations and suggestions soon.

There is a scope for further improvement of medical facilities in government hospitals of Punjab. A pilot project will also be launched with reference to private practice, the minister added.