Facilities at government hospitals reviewed

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education (SH&ME) Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting of all the heads of medical institutions and teaching hospitals which reviewed the steps taken for the provision of clean drinking water, free supply of medicines in emergency wards, infection control and hospital waste management in the light of the orders of Supreme Court.

“All the heads would furnish a certificate ensuring supply of clean drinking water and free medicine in the emergency departments,” Khawaja Salman said.

SH&ME Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah, Special Secretary Usman Muazam, officers of the department concerned, experts from public health department, WASA, Punjab Food Authority (PFA), Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), vice-chancellors of medical universities, principles of medical colleges, medical superintendents and executive directors of teaching hospitals and specialised health facilities participated in the video link meeting.

The chief engineer public health, technical expert of WASA and PCRWR briefed the meeting about the methods of water quality checking, cleanliness of water tanks and water reservoirs and chlorination of water. Dr Rafia Haider of PFA said the PFA teams have collected water samples from teaching hospitals for laboratory analysis.

Najam Ahmad directed the heads of the medical institutions to analyse water resources of their relevant institutes and take necessary action in this regard. He asked the participants of the meeting to submit a certificate to SH&ME ensuring provision of safe drinking water, free medicine in the emergency wards and infection control.

The heads of the institutions informed the meeting that 100 per cent free medicines were being provided in the emergency wards. However, some results of medicines were pending with the Drug Testing Laboratories (DTLs).

Khawaja Salman said the Supreme Court has directed the DTLs to complete the lab tests within a month. Breastfeeding: Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir Monday said breast-feeding was the best diet for infant as it fulfilled all the nutritional needs. Packed milk cannot be an alternate of it.

Unfortunately, infant’s heart-stunting and mortality rate in Pakistan is growing rapidly and its major reason is not to meet the nutritional needs of infants.

Khawaja Imran was addressing a seminar on Punjab Protection of Breast Feeding and Child Nutrition Act here at a local hotel. The seminar was organised by IRMNCH, a project of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

MPA Dr Uzma, P&D Health Member Dr Shabana Haider, IRMNCH Additional Director Operations Dr Akhter Rashid, Additional Director Dr Naeem Majeed, Dr Zulfiqar Ahmed, Dr Nasir, representatives of development partners and AMs of DHQ and teaching hospitals participated in the seminar.

Khawaja Imran said publicity of formula milk in public and private hospitals was ban, and if a doctor prescribed formula milk unnecessarily, strict action will be taken against him. He said we have to promote breast-feeding in our society. The Punjab government has established stabilisation centres at district level for the treatment of SAM children, he added.

Dr Shubana said breast-feeding was right of every child and it was our religious and social responsibility to provide this right to every child. Dr Akhtar highlighted the steps taken by IRMNCH programme regarding breast-feeding and child nutrition. A briefing on mobile application developed with the support of PITB on breast-feeding and child nutrition was given.

PHC: In accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) Monday sent teams to 14 districts to shutdown treatment centres of quacks.

According to a press release, the district administration and police of the respective areas would support the teams. For smooth action against quacks, PHC has consulted different departments and stakeholders.

The teams are also equipped with a mobile application ‘Census Information Manager’ (CMI) for having the exact location and complete information about the quacks. Since the launch of the action against quacks, the PHC has closed down over 8,550 quacks’ businesses, and imposed a fine of about Rs65 million.