Nursing schools to be upgraded

LAHORE
Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said the nurses are the backbone of healthcare delivery system and no healthcare system can operate without nurses. He said the government had introduced historic reforms in the health field, but a lot of work was still to be done.
He said this while addressing a seminar held at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in connection with the World Nursing Day on Tuesday. Kh. Salman Rafique said the government had promoted the nurses to the next grade who had been waiting for promotion for many years. He said the government had regularised thousands of nurses while creating new vacancies for nurses. He said the PPSC and Health Department had recently issued appointment and posting orders for 1,450 nurses. Moreover, the government is also sending a requisition for another one thousand nurses to the PPSC.
He said the nurses were performing a very sacred duty of taking care of patients. He said the society should acknowledge the services of nurses and give them due respect. He observed that a positive change was gradually taking place in the society towards nursing profession and the people should respect this noble profession. However, there is also a need of change in the attitude of nurses so as to address the complaints of the patients. Kh. Salman Rafique said the government would upgrade the status of nursing schools to the college level. He said the Health Department was also arranging the training for the nurses abroad. He said the Health Department had taken several steps to improve the mother and child health for which government was making 24 hours health facilities and delivery arrangements at 700 Basic Health Units up to June under 24/7 programme. Moreover, the government has functionalised 66 percent Basic Health Units by filling the posts of medical officers. He further said the Health Department was making arrangements for functionalising the remaining 34 percent BHUs in Punjab. He said the Health Department was the voice of doctors and nurses.
Kh. Salman Rafique said the ministers, advisers and government officers were the facilitators for public. He said the government had also given four-tier service structure to the allied health professionals. Earlier, nurses presented tableaus and skits to highlight the importance of nursing profession. They also took oath to discharge their duties with honesty and professional dedication.