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Thursday March 28, 2024

Rs14b health budget proposed

By Amer Malik
May 30, 2016

LAHORE

Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, Punjab, Ali Jaan Khan has informed to have proposed Rs 14 billion for development in the upcoming fiscal year 2016-17. 

Talking to journalists during an informal meeting, the secretary said an amount of Rs 6 billion will be spent on preventive healthcare with an aim to prevent the diseases and lessen the burden on primary, secondary and tertiary care hospitals. He, however, expressed concern over non-utilisation of development budget as over Rs 2.5 billion have been lapsed during the ongoing fiscal year.

He said after joining as secretary of the newly-bifurcated department he found out that the schemes initiated in Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department needed Rs 33 billion for completion. Since taking over the reins of the department, he said he had conducted field visits of health facilities in 26 districts to gain the first hand knowledge of the issues of facilities and services from the perspective of doctors, patients and community, adding that he would expect to complete field visits in all 36 districts of the province. While responding to a question regarding doubts over future of Punjab Rural Support Programme (PRSP) and Integrated Reproductive Mother and Newborn Child Health (IRMNCH), he said that he had transferred all the health managers on top slots in IRMNCH programme over poor performance and replaced them with health managers of clean and efficient reputation, adding that IRMNCH programme would continue with full spirit. He informed that the chief minister had also granted approval for extension of PRSP in its selected districts in the province. He informed that the department had devised a plan to increase 3,000 beds at District Headquarters (DHQ), Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals. However, he said, the department had banned establishment of new Rural Health Centres (RHCs) and Basic Health Units (BHUs), and vowed to invest all energies on improving operational management of BHUs and RHCs in the province. He informed that the department had also lifted restriction on age limit of Medical Officers (MOs), Women Medical Officers (WMOs) and specialists on ad hoc appointments and even retired doctors would be welcomed to be posted on ad hoc basis. He informed that Infection Control System and Hospital Waste Management would be bifurcated and revamped to improve the quality of healthcare services in hospitals. He informed the P&S department believed in accountability and suspected Executive District Officers (EDOs)-Health in nine districts over poor performance. He said that all appointments at DHQ, THQ hospitals, Director Health Services at Division level, District Officer (DO)-Health and Deputy District Officer (DDO)-Health would be made on merit through National Testing Service (NTS) exam. He informed that the department had started Bio-Metric system at all health facilities to check absenteeism and it helped ensure 80 per cent attendance of doctors and other staff at health facilities. However, he said the Department would keep check on doctors and other staff to ensure that they properly discharge their duties. He said the District Health Authorities (DHAs) would be established at all district level, which would be made operational as soon as the local government setup was in place, adding DHAs would be responsible for addressing the issues of preventive, curative, infrastructure and transfers and postings in respective districts. He informed that health councils had been established to resolve small issues like repairs and other necessities at DHQ, THQ hospitals, RHCs and BHUs at local level.