Provision of quality health services among Govt’s top priorities: PM

LAHORE, Oct 28 (APP):Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said that provision of timely and quality health services to the masses were among top priorities of the government
and directed for further taking immediate measures in this regard.

The prime minister was chairing a meeting about improvement of facilities and reforms in the health sector of Punjab province, PM office media wing in
a press release said.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Federal minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Fidous Ashiq Awan, provincial health minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, chief secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and concerned officials.

The prime minister was apprised that provision of health cards in the thirty
districts of Punjab had been completed whereas its distribution process in the
six more districts would commence soon.

Under the health cards, deserving people had been provided with the treatment facilities and was being ensured to facilitate maximum number of the deserving people.

The prime minister observed that in the past, steps were taken to provide quality and timely facilities to the elite class whereas the poor and middle classes were completely neglected.

He said that the present government was implementing a devised roadmap under a coordinated mechanism which would ensure better health facilities to all citizens, irrespective of their classes.

The prime minister was briefed about improvement in the health sector, including further enhancement of health facilities in the emergency department of the five
main hospitals, refurbishment of OPDs, establishment of Madadgar counters, and
the steps taken for improving the administrative and financial issues of the
hospitals.

He was apprised about the system of reward and punishment in the administrative matters of the hospitals and the steps taken for timely and better provision of health facilities to the poor patients.

A briefing was also given with regard to projects for establishment of new cardiology hospitals and controlling of dengue.

The prime minister stressed the need for identification of lands under the Auqaf department and handing over of such pieces of land on lease to the hospitals in the private sector, besides linking of treatment of the deserving people in these private hospitals under the health cards.