Economic Survey 2014-15 report, currently there are only 1,142 hospitals, 5,499 dispensaries, 5,438 basic health units, 671 maternity and child health centres with only 175,223 doctors, 90,276 nurses and 118,041 hospital beds for a population of around 190 million.
Dr. Arshad said the provincial government had announced to establish a Child Healthcare hospital in Rawalpindi which would hopefully reduce load over pediatric departments of government hospitals.
The MS said the hospital had asked the provincial government to allow it to fill vacant seats of doctors and other staff, and hopefully new recruitments would be made soon.
He informed that an MRI centre was being established at Radiology department of the hospital and in this regard grant of Rs19 crore had also been allocated by the government.
According to reports, Punjab government has devised a comprehensive programme to make rural and basic health centres active besides improving health facilities in ten districts of the province. Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said nine centres of excellence will be set up in various cities during the year to improve healthcare.
"The government has enhanced health budget from Rs121 billion to 166 billion which is a historic step," he said during a press conference.
The condition of two major government hospitals of the federal capital is not that much different and patients here also suffer the same plight.
"It is really a harsh experience to stay in a government hospital due to inadequate facilities and behaviour of staff," said Amjad Hussain who was recently discharged from Medical Ward of Polyclinic.
A doctor on the condition of anonymity told APP that the hospital was a hub of problems including inadequate health facilities and medical staff, worthless emergency service, poor security and low standard paediatric and gynecological wards.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Usman Ibrahim had informed the Upper House of the parliament during a question hour that government was taking various steps to provide better health facilities to the patients in PIMS and FGPC hospital.
Extension and reconstruction of Federal Government Polyclinic has also been planned and additional 2.54 acres of land has been allocated in the adjacent Argentine Park for this purpose, he said.
The minister said the government had lifted ban over the purchase of physical assets including machinery, equipment and allocated Rs32 million for this purpose, adding, ban on fresh recruitment of medical staff had also been lifted.
Though the current government is trying to improve the health and nutrition status of the country through promotional, preventive and rural services, but a lot more was needed to provide quality health services to masses which perhaps need some revolutionary steps.
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