Southern Punjab to get maximum resources: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday said the government was focusing on the development of southern Punjab and will allocate the maximum possible resources for development schemes.

He directed the Finance Division to clear all funds allocated for development schemes of the region on fast track. The prime minister said: “I will remain accessible to resolve any issue related to development of the DG Khan region.”

The prime minister, who started meetings with the national legislators unabated ever since he has assumed the office, received a delegation of members of the National Assembly hailing from south Punjab on Friday.

They briefed the prime minister on development schemes of their respective constituencies. He said the government strongly believed in public service and is working wholeheartedly for addressing the public grievances.

He advised the National Assembly members to work with full dedication for bringing about tangible positive change. Federal Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, State Minister for Communications Hafiz Abdul Kareem, MNA Muhammad Amjad Farooq Khan Khosa, Muhammad Jaffar Khan Leghari, Hafeezur Rehman Khan Drishak, Malik Sultan Mehmood Hanjra, Sardar Ashiq Hussain Gopang, Sahibzada Faizul Hassan, Syed Muhammad Saqlain Shah Bukhari and Mrs Shahnaz Saleem Malik attended the meeting. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed who was also the chief whip of the PML-N and State Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present.

Taking notice of high prices of medicines, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday directed the ministry concerned that the regulatory mechanism for registration of drugs and pricing policy should be further simplified to facilitate drug manufacturers and create a win-win situation for the consumers as well as the drug producers and importers.

He was chairing a meeting on issues related to the Ministry of National Health Services here at the Prime Minister’s Office. Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar and senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

Abbasi directed that comprehensive proposals should be placed before the cabinet and necessary legislation be put in place for addressing the issues being faced vis-à-vis further facilitating drugs regulatory regime.

Referring to the existing backlog in the registration and price fixation of various drugs, he directed the ministry to present a roadmap within 24 hours with specified timelines for clearing the backlog.

He directed the Ministry of National Health Services to formulate a comprehensive plan for expanding outreach of the Prime Minister’s National Health programme (PMNHP) to
 all parts of the country and to provide relief to the poor segments of the society.

The minister told the meeting that the government had undertaken major reforms especially in last over two years in diverse areas including introduction of a comprehensive Drug Pricing Policy, launching of PMNHP, increase in coverage of children vaccinated under the Expanded Programme on Immunization, significant reduction of polio cases in the country, launch of Prime Minister’s Program for the treatment of fatal diseases, successful negotiation under National Immunization Support Programme for financial sustainability of immunization services of women and children.

The PMNHP which was started in 26 districts in the first phase would be covering over 03 million families and is the largest public health initiative in the country, informed the minister. The prime minister appreciated the progress being made under the programme and directed the ministry to work closely with the provincial governments in order to expand its outreach.

Discussing issues concerning DRAP, the prime minister observed that regulatory policies and framework should aim at facilitating international as well as local drugs manufacturers and aim at promoting healthy competition among the producers.

He said the government was endeavoring to put in place a congenial environment for the businesses to flourish and markets to grow further. He observed that the regulators’ job was to protect the consumers and facilitate business community to the maximum possible extent.