Turkish delegates discuss healthcare with minister

LAHORE

A delegation of Public-Private Partnership Association, Turkey, which is in Lahore to attend International Business Opportunities in Punjab conference, called on Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Kh Salman Rafiq here on Tuesday.

According to a handout issued here, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah, Policy and Strategic Planning Unit (PSPU) Project Director Muhammad Khan Ranjha, Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sohail Saqlain and other officers were also present.

Different fields of cooperation in health sector came under discussion during the meeting for strengthening the health sector and improving the hospital performance to provide quality health and diagnostic facilities to the people.

Both sides discussed the opportunities of cooperation and investment in the field of information technology, health management information system (HIMS) for the hospitals, transfer of knowledge and technology, training and capacity-building of human resource in different fields.

Health Minister Kh Salman Rafiq constituted a technical committee comprising experts from sides, which would finalise modalities for cooperation and investment of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Association Turkey in the Punjab health sector.

He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif wanted to bring the health sector of Punjab on a par with the international standard for which cooperation of other countries especially Turkey would be welcomed. 

PPP Association, Turkey, Executive Board Member Onur Ozcan said, "Our association would be delighted to invest in the health sector in Punjab as Pakistan is a brotherly country of Turkey and we are ready to extend cooperation for strengthening and streamlining the hospital management system."

Health Specialist Dr Naeem ud Din Mian said that there were 19 non-clinical disciplines in the hospitals which could be outsourced.

Health Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah said that Punjab Health Department desired to gain Turkish cooperation in green as well as brown areas.