Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday said providing basic healthcare facilities at people’s doorsteps was the government’s foremost priority.
Govt’s top priority to provide basic healthcare at people’s doorstep: Tariq Fazal
ISLAMABAD, Jul 10 (APP): Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday said providing basic healthcare facilities at people’s doorsteps was the government’s foremost priority.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a digitalised health centre in Phulgran, he said nearly 50 per cent of Islamabad’s population lived in rural areas.
Patients from these areas had to travel to major hospitals in the city for treatment, while Islamabad’s hospitals also catered to patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Jhelum, Murree and Kotli Sattian.
He said the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) previously received around 400 to 500 patients daily, but the number had now increased to between 8,000 and 10,000 patients a day.
The minister said the federal government had allocated Rs 1,163 billion for the health sector.
He added that Islamabad had 22 Basic Health Units (BHUs), many of which were not fully functional, adding that making these facilities operational was the need of the hour.
He said Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal was doing commendable work to improve the health sector.
“If the commitment he has expressed is implemented, we will be able to provide healthcare services to our population at less than half the current cost without any difficulty,” he said.
Dr Tariq said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif believed the country’s challenges could be overcome through reforms and effective policymaking, adding that providing quality healthcare was one of the government’s fundamental responsibilities.
Recalling an official visit to the United States in 2009, he said he had witnessed robotic surgery at a hospital.
He added that technology had advanced to the point where doctors could now perform surgeries while sitting in another country.
Describing the establishment of the digitalised health unit in Phulgran as a welcome initiative, he said there was a need to create public awareness about this model Basic Health Unit.
He added that women from the area, particularly mothers and sisters, would be able to visit the facility to receive quality medical treatment.
The minister said modern warfare had become a battle of intellect and technology.
Referring to the recent conflict with India, he said Pakistan had demonstrated the effective use of technology without crossing the border and had achieved remarkable success.
He added that nations investing in technology were advancing faster than others.
He announced that telemedicine facilities would be introduced in all Basic Health Units across Islamabad.
He said the government’s priority was to ensure Pakistan excelled in every sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
Dr Tariq further said Pakistan’s diplomacy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, was being appreciated around the world.
He said the situation in Balochistan was no longer a struggle for rights but a proxy war imposed by India. He added that the entire nation was determined to play its role in ensuring peace and prosperity in Pakistan. He said more than 40 security personnel had laid down their lives in the line of duty.
