Better health facilities to people priority, says minister

LAHORE: Providing better health facilities to the people of Punjab at their doorstep is the first priority. There is scope for many new government hospitals due to growing population. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said this while chairing the second meeting of the Health Advisory Committee in the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education here on Monday.

Provincial Health Minister Kh Imran Nazir participated in the meeting through video link. Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan, Special Secretaries Raja Mansoor Ahmed, Syed Wajid Ali and other officers attended the meeting. KEMU VC Prof Dr Mahmood Ayaz, University of Child Health Sciences VC Prof Dr Masood Sadiq and other experts also participated.

The health ministers reviewed the master plan of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital Lahore in detail. IDAP officers also gave a briefing in this regard.

The minister said that a state of the art Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology is being built for the people of Sargodha and this institute will provide modern medical facilities to the patients.

Kh Salman Rafique said that there is a need for more cardiology hospitals in Punjab in terms of disease burden. Kh Imran Nazir said that Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology Sargodha would be completed on time. We will continuously monitor the progress of this institute. Moreover, a delegation of oncology experts called on Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique in the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education. Oncology experts gave excellent suggestions regarding Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, Lahore on this occasion. CEO IDAP and Secretary Health also gave a briefing regarding Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research. Kh Salman said that the Punjab government wanted to build a state of the art cancer care hospital for the people. Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research will be the first government cancer hospital and research institute in Punjab.

The 6-storey Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital Lahore will have 240 beds. Filter clinic, hostels and cafeteria will also be built in Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital. Valuable suggestions of all oncology experts will definitely be given importance in building Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research.

Meanwhile, Khawaja Salman Rafique presided over a meeting in the Department of Specialised Health and Medical Education. Salman Rafique reviewed the progress of the new cardiac centre Hazrat Hameed ud Din Hakim Surgical Complex in Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan during the meeting.

He said that we will complete the new cardiac centre and surgical complex in Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan on the given time and we are trying to complete the revamping projects in government hospitals of Punjab as soon as possible.

The government is trying to complete the Hazrat Hameed ul Din Hakim surgical complex in the next two and a half years. The provincial minister directed IDAP to submit report on both projects.