Health Secretary Jehanzeb Khan on Friday directed the Health Department officials to take disciplinary action against doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, involved in private practice during office hours.
He was presiding over a meeting to evaluate the performance of District Headquarter (DHQ), Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) hospitals, RHCs and BHUs of district Sargodha. He said an inspection and monitoring system had been established to check the performance of doctors and hospitals as well.
The health secretary took serious notice of the gradual reduction of patients in the Gynecology Department and low number of deliveries in the hospitals. He directed that show-cause notices must be issued to all the gynecologists working in the DHQ hospital for their lack of interest in official duties, negligence in treatment of patients and forcing pregnant women to deliver in their private clinics/hospitals. The health executive district officer (EDO) said that almost all the gynecologists and lady health visitors of the DHQ Hospital Sargodha were doing private practice in and because of their apathy towards patients, very few women prefer government hospitals for delivery.
The health secretary directed that office hours must be strictly be observed in the hospitals and disciplinary action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act must be undertaken against those absent. He gave two months’ time to the health EDO to improve the hospitals’ working and ordered strict action against senior officials if no visible change occurred. He criticised the insufficient arrangements for malaria control despite monsoon. He directed that immediate anti-malaria sprays must be started in specific areas of the district and medicines must also be procured for treatment of malaria fever. He also directed round-the-clock availability of LHVs in the labour rooms of the hospitals.
Addl Secretary (Estb) Dawood Muhammad Khan, Addl Secretary (Admn) Khursheed Zaidi, Health Director General Dr Aslam Ch, Family Planning & Priamry Health Provincial Coordinator Dr Akhtar Rasheed Malik, MNCH Programme Provincial Coordinator Dr Sabiha Khursheed, Health EDO Sargodha Dr Habeeb and Medical Superintendent of the concerned hospitals attended the meeting.
