Minister rules out outsourcing of hospitals

LAHORE:An important meeting was held in the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique. The condition of hospitals was reviewed during the meeting.

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the sit-in of the Grand Health Alliance is unjustified. According to the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, 2,500 basic health units and 300 rural health centres are being improved. After the reforms, the pressure of patients in big government teaching hospitals will reduce. No government hospital is going to be privatised, he said, adding the closure of OPDs of teaching hospitals was not acceptable under any circumstances. No one will be allowed to obstruct the treatment and care of patients. He said that a comprehensive action plan was prepared in consultation with all the Vice Chancellors, Principals and MSs.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of Chief Minister Steering Committee on Cardiology Dr Farqad Alamgir, Additional Secretary Admin Sajjad Khan, FJMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Prof Masood Sadiq, Principal Amir ud din Medical College and General Hospital Prof Sardar Al-Freed Zafar, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof Tayyaba Waseem, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Zohra Khanum and others.

On this occasion, CEO Punjab Institute of Cardiology Prof Bilal Mohiuddin, Principal De Montmorency College of Dentistry Prof Nabila Riaz, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Mental Health Dr Saqib Bajwa, MS Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Dr Omar Ishaq, MS General Hospital Dr Faryad, MS Ganga Ram Hospital Dr Arif Iftikhar, MS Services Hospital Dr Abid Mahmood Ghauri and other MSs were present.

University of Health Sciences VC Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Rawalpindi Medical University VC Prof Muhammad Omar, Nishtar Medical University VC Prof Mehnaz Khakwani, Faisalabad Medical University VC Prof Zafar Ch, principals and other MSs participated through a video link.

Meanwhile, the Department of SH&ME Punjab has suspended two doctors under the PEEDA Act and dismissed one doctor from service over misconduct and closure of OPD of a teaching hospital. According to the details, Dr Salman Haseeb of Services Hospital Lahore was suspended and training of PGR Dr Ahmed Yar of Children's Hospital Lahore was suspended while Dr M Amir Bashir of General Hospital Lahore was terminated from service.Besides, the SH&ME department also dismissed three medical officers of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha over misconduct and closure of OPD, transferred one medical officer, while PG training of Nishtar Hospital Multan was suspended. According to the details, Dr Muhammad Asjad Saleem, Medical Officer of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha, was dismissed over misconduct and closure of OPD, Medical Officers Dr Osama Bin Saeed and Dr Wajid Ali were dismissed over misconduct and closure of OPD, while MO Dr Usman Imtiaz was transferred and handed over to the Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare.According to details, the PG training of Dr Salman Ghafoor, a postgraduate resident of Nishtar Hospital Multan, was suspended immediately due to misconduct and violation of discipline. A notification has also been issued in this regard.