Punjab plans medical cover in case of floods

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique has directed the administration of all the medical universities, medical colleges and the teaching hospitals to finalise the arrangements and contingency plan to provide medical cover to the affectees during expected flood.

He directed that final year medical students also be included in the mobile medical teams as volunteers for creating awareness among the community regarding hygiene and preventive measures.

He stated this while presiding over a video-linked meeting of vice-chancellors of medical universities, principals of medical colleges, medical superintendents of teaching hospitals and heads of specialised healthcare institutions at Civil Secretariat on Friday, according to a handout issued here. Besides VCs of medical universities, principals of medical colleges, medical superintendents of teaching hospitals as well as Special Secretary Health Dr Sajid Mehmood Chohan and other officers concerned of the department attended the meeting.

The minister said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has issued clear directions to ensure foolproof arrangements to provide medical treatment facilities to the affected people in case of any flood situation in coming days. He said that no leniency would be accepted in this regard. The minister directed that all the hospitals should ensure availability of sufficient stock of anti-snake venom, anti-rabbis vaccine, antibiotic medicines, drips and other life-saving items in the hospitals during flood season.

Special Secretary Health Dr Sajid Chohan directed that specialised healthcare institutions should also stock the ASV and ARV for life-saving of the affected people during flood emergency. He directed that proper orientation should be given to students before including them in the mobile medical teams. He directed that information counters also be established in the teaching hospitals for the guidance and registration of the patients.

Kh Salman Rafique also directed to make arrangements in the teaching hospitals of big cities to cater the medical needs of the people in case of urban flood. Special secretary informed the meeting that medical universities and colleges have been attached with the districts of their regions and they have been informed in writing regarding the attached districts.

He said the medical colleges and hospitals concerned would be responsible to send mobile medical teams in the affected areas of their attached districts. On this occasion, the VCs and principals and the medical superintendents briefed the meeting regarding the arrangements to avert untoward situation in flood days. Every institution informed the meeting regarding the availability of medicines, ASV, ARV, lifesaving and antibiotic medicines.

 

They also informed that mobile medical teams have already been constituted for providing medical treatment to the flood affectees in the medical relief camps. Kh Salman Rafique further directed the heads of the institutions to review their arrangements again and send a final report to the department so that the chief minister could be briefed accordingly.