Punjab government is upgrading district and tehsil headquarters (DHQ and THQ) hospitals to strengthen the primary and secondary healthcare system and provide better health facilities to residents of remote areas of the province, said Health Special Secretary Punjab Wasim Mukhtar on Wednesday.
The secretary was presiding over a meeting to review the performance of DHQ and THQ hospitals and Rural Health Centres of Muzaffargarh at his office. He also discussed safety measures to face any untoward situation in the monsoon season. Referring to the last year’s experiences, Wasim said all the arrangements must be completed and the Health Department staff be kept on an alert to control epidemics and provide timely health facilities in case of floods.
Measures for the control of malaria, tuberculosis, polio and routine immunization of pregnant women and new-born children were also discussed. The meeting reviewed the progress of up-gradation of the DHQ Hospital Muzaffargarh, THQ Hospital Jatoi and provision of health facilities including dialysis there. Repair and maintenance of medical equipments was also discussed. The Health EDO said 1,734 kidney patients were provided dialysis facility in the district during the current year, whereas, last year, 2,501 patients were provided the facility.
The secretary ordered that repair work of all repairable medical equipments be completed and all scraped machinery and non-repairable vehicles be disposed of through open auction by August 31. He said immediate steps would be taken to fill the vacant posts of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in the hospitals of Muzaffargarh. Wasim also directed that doctors, nurses and other staff absent from duty should be tried under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act. Additional Secretary (Establishment) Dawood Muhammad Khan Bareach, Addl Secretary (Admn) Khursheed Zaidi, Addl Secretary (Dev) Muazzam Usman, Health Director General Dr Aslam Chaudhry, Health Management Information System Director Dr Muhammad Anwar Janjua, Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Muzaffargarh and medical superintendents of the concerned hospitals attended the meeting.
