On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, recommendations have been formulated for the strengthening of primary healthcare system to ensure provision of health facilities in remote areas of the province.
This was stated by Punjab Health Secretary Hassan Iqbal on Friday while presiding over a meeting which was attended by former special assistant to Punjab chief minister on health Khwaja Salman Rafique, King Edward Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Faisal Masood, University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Maj (r) Muhammad Aslam, Health (Admin) Additional Secretary Azmat Mehmood, Development Additional Secretary Usman Moazam, Establishment Additional Secretary Asfand Yar Khan, Punjab Director General Health Dr Tanveer Ahmed, Lady Health Workers Programme Coordinator Dr Akhtar Rashid Malik, Punjab Health Sector Director Reforms Programme Farasat Iqbal as well as other concerned officers. The Health secretary gave a presentation on strengthening of primary healthcare system and sought participants’ proposals. He said that Basic Health Centers and Rural Health Centers played an important role in primary healthcare system and by making these health centers fully functional, not only medical facilities could be provided to rural masses at local level but success of the EPI Programme could also be ensured. Iqbal said that effective implementation of healthcare delivery system, reduction of maternal mortality rate as well as curbing of seasonal and infectious diseases was possible only through strengthening of primary healthcare system.
