Dr Yasmin for efforts to control population

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Wednesday that all stakeholders will have to make extra efforts to achieve the targets of controlling population growth rate in the country.

During a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank, the health minister said that Health Department was a key stakeholder in the family planning initiative. World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine, Programme Leader Ubaid al Razzaq and Senior Operations Manager Amna Raja were part of the team.

The health minister shared the details of measures taken to improve primary and secondary healthcare services in the province. World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine said he greatly admired the services rendered by Dr Yasmin Rashid and assured of his all-out support for the gov of the Punjab.

The delegates appreciated the efforts of the health minister and assured her of their all-out support. The health minister said, “Health Department has a pivotal role in family planning and all stakeholders will have to go extra mile to achieve the targets. The government has taken some key steps to improve mother and child health indicators in the province. Pakistan loses thousands of women and children during birth related complications. The government is developing seven state-of-the-art mother and child hospitals in the province. We are battling with corona pandemic with full commitment. Corona SOPs are being enforced in letter and spirit. So far more than 39 million have been vaccinated in the province. “ She said Universal Health Coverage services would begin for entire population of the province by December 31. The health cards are being distributed to the entire population. Patients can get health insurance coverage of Rs720,000. She said Rs 100 billion had been reserved in the budget for the initiative on the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.”

Meanwhile, Yasmin Rashid said on Wednesday the polio eradication programme was part of the larger expanded programme on immunisation and efforts were underway to eradicate polio from the province.

In a meeting with a delegation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in her office, the health minister said that special focus was being laid on birth registration. Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Additional Secretary Coordination Ms Sundas Irshad, BMGF Technical Focal Person Dr Naeedm Majeed and Dr Zeina Ali Siam were also present. The health minister said, “The government is utilising all possible resources to eradicate polio.

“According to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we are endeavoring to make Punjab polio free. A central data repository has been developed to register polio vaccination record of children. Overall 90 per cent immunisation coverage has been achieved in the province. We will try our best to achieve 100pc coverage during polio NID. Polio eradication has emerged as a big challenge in Punjab. We are trying to restructure and scale up the expanded programme on immunisation,” the provincial health minister said. Dr Zeina Ali Siam from BMGF appreciated the Punjab government’s efforts for polio eradication and assured complete support from her organisation.