Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq on Wednesday said it was the need of the hour to enhance capacity-building of the Health Department after the devolution of health programs from the federation to the provinces.
He expressed these views while talking to the media after a meeting with a delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, US-AID and the Department of International Development United Kingdom, which called on him at the office of the Punjab Director General Health Services.
Punjab Director General Health Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema, Director Health (EPI) Dr Tanveer Ahmad and other officers were also present on the occasion, while the WHO representative in Pakistan Dr. Guido Saba Tinelli also attended the proceedings as a delegation member.
During the meeting, detailed views were exchanged regarding successful implementation of strategy evolved by the Provincial Health Department and the difficulties and challenges which it was confronting in this regard.
Kh Rafiq said that health and education were the top most priorities of the Punjab chief minister while the government was investing billions of rupees to ensure provision of quality medical facilities to people due to which the health budget had increased six fold during the last four years.
He added that the Punjab government had evolved a successful strategy to combat dengue which was being effectively implemented throughout the province.
