Curtain to fall on non-functional Polyclinic dispensaries

Islamabad: The Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations has decided to close down non-functional dispensaries of the Federal Government Polyclinic and shift their staff members to the main hospital for better patient care.

This was decided during a meeting of the FG Polyclinic Reforms Committee here. Special assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza, health secretary Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, FG Polyclinic executive director Dr. Shoaib Khan and relevant officials attended the meeting.

The participants recommended the creation of 220 additional positions of postgraduate trainee doctors. The ED said around 8,000 patients visited the hospital daily and to reduce that load, 35 attached dispensaries were undergoing reform.

He said some dispensaries were being given a new role to reduce the patient load on the hospital. The ED said the gynaecology department was being upgraded, while new equipment valuing Rs 123 million was being procured.

He also said the installation of MRI, CT Scan and mammography machines in the hospital was on the cards. Dr Zafar Mirza said reform agenda was being implemented in the health sector expeditiously, while all-out efforts were being made to improve patient care in hospitals.

"In line with the vision of the prime minister, we (health ministry) are committed to improving the performance of public sector hospitals and achieving universal health coverage," he said.