Punjab to recruit 300 anesthetists, technologists

LAHORE: A meeting chaired by Punjab Health Minister has decided to recruit 300 anesthetists and technologists through Punjab Public Service Commission while 400 serving medical officers (MOs) would also be trained as anesthetists.

Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare (SP&SH) Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Special Secretary Muhammad Khan Ranjha, Director General Health Services Punjab Dr Munir Ahmed and others were also present in the meeting. Prof Yasmin Rashid said that training process would be expedited, adding that 34 MOs who were recently trained as anesthetist would be sent to special pool from where they would serve in the districts where there was acute shortage of anesthetists. The minister directed that mechanism of referral system should be devised till March 31 to reduce work burden on teaching hospitals. “Consultative process for establishment of regional health authorities each at nine divisional headquarters continued to improve provision of health facilities. A plan was in progress for revamping of 100 Basic Health Units (BHUs) and eight DHQ and THQ hospitals besides 28 Rural Health Centres would also be upgraded” she said. Moreover, all BHUs would be made operational round-the-clock gradually. Meanwhile, service delivery package for hepatitis clinics was discussed in a meeting chaired by health minister. The meeting was briefed that currently there were five million hepatitis patients. Pakistan is listed most affected country after Egypt. Dr Yasmin Rashid expressed her deep concern that 4.7 percent of Punjab population was suffering from different kinds of hepatitis; however, she expressed her satisfaction that 114 hepatitis clinics were working throughout Punjab. “138,000 patients were being looked after at primary and secondary hospitals while other 23,220 patients were being provided health facilities at tertiary healthcare hospitals”. Moreover, more than 40,000 other hepatitis positive people were being treated under PKLI arrangements. “Working capacity of hepatitis clinics would be enhanced phase wise” pledged the minister; however, she reiterated the need of awareness among general masses. “Preventive steps were far cheaper than cure of hepatitis, plan to make Punjab Hepatitis-free until 2030 has been devised.” she noted.

PU awards four PhDs: Punjab University has awarded four PhD degrees to the scholars. Muhammad Liaqat has been awarded the degree in Chemistry after approval of his thesis ‘Synthesis Characterisation and Biological studies of Some Novel Mannich Bases and Their Transition Metal Complexes’, Amina Mumtaz in Chemistry after approval of her thesis ‘Synthesis Characterisation and Biological Activity of Schiff-Bases Derived From Drugs and Their Complication with Certain Transition Metal IONS’, Nawab Din in Persian after approval of his thesis ‘Influence and Impact of Persian poets on Mathnavi Saif-ul Maluk by Mian Mohammad Bakhsh’, Ishrat Begum in Political Science after approval of her thesis ‘Water Issue Between Pakistan and India: Implications to Regional Security and Peace Process’ and Kiran Nawaz in Agricultural Sciences after approval of her thesis ‘Isolation and Characterisation of Glucanase genes from Trichoderma and their evaluation against root rot of chili’.