Punjab rural ambulance service inaugurated

LAHORE

Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir inaugurated Punjab Rural Ambulance Service at Directorate General Health Services, here on Sunday.

Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Ali Jan Khan, DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed and other senior officers of the department were also present.

These ambulances would provide service to shift the pregnant women in the need of the hour from her home to the nearest Basic Health Unit (BHU) or the hospital. 

Director Integrated Reproductive, Mother, New-Born Child Health Programme (IRMNCH) Dr Akhtar Rashid Malik informed that this ambulance service would work on the pattern of Rescue 1122 for mother & child health facilities. He informed that call response centres would be established for this purpose. He informed that 250 ambulances are being attached with 800 BHUs which are running 24 hours. Clusters of four BHUs would be linked with one ambulance.

Talking to reporters, the minister said that on receiving a call from any family, the ambulance would reach immediately the house of the patient concerned and she will be shifted to the attached BHU or the nearby hospital according to the nature of her complication.

The minister said this service would be outsourced to maintain quality of service and avoid misuse of the vehicle. He informed that lady health workers would create awareness among the women of their respective area. They will also distribute pamphlets containing necessary information and call centre telephone number.

Urology OPD: Lahore General Hospital Administration has decided to keep Urology Outdoor Department open during all the seven days of week instead of only two days. According to a press release issued here on Sunday, Dr Muhammad Nazeer, Professor of Urology, told in this regard that it was being observed that patients coming from remote areas were facing hardships as Outdoor of Urology Department was available to them for check-up only on Tuesday and Thursday.