Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday gave approval to various schemes for the uplift of the health sector.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Zakiya Shahnawaz, Advisor on Health Salman Rafiq, Economic Affairs Advisor Dr Ijaz Nabi, Health Parliamentary Secretary Imran Nazir, assembly members Rana Sanaullah, Dr Nadia Aziz, Shahbaz Ahmed, Adnan Farid, Makhdoom Hashim, chief secretary, secretaries’ concerned, medical experts and senior officers.
Presiding over the meeting, the chief minister gave approval to upgrading of nursing schools and giving them status of nursing colleges and announced that four centre-of-excellence nursing colleges would be set up in the province.
He also gave approval of pilot project of setting up district health authorities in three districts of the province.
The meeting also gave approval to upgrading of emergency wards of district and tehsil hospitals under a phased programme and to allocate separate pediatric wards, and it decided to change non-functional boards of management of autonomous medical institutions.
Addressing the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said revolutionary reforms were being initiated with a new determination for the improvement of health facilities and hoped that due to collective efforts, relief would be provided to people in a real sense and a dream of a Healthy Punjab would be realised.
He said provision of modern and quality treatment facilities to the masses was a priority of the government as health was directly linked to education, progress and prosperity of the country.
He said the Health authorities should fix targets of improvement in public health facilities and devote all their energies for their achievement.
The chief minister said there was no need for non-functional boards of management and active and well-reputed persons should be included in the boards. He also directed that an effective monitoring system should be evolved for the purchase and distribution of medicines as well as ensuring their standard.
He said a comprehensive mechanism of accountability should be introduced in the Health department at every level, adding that information technology should be utilised for evolving a digital system for the purpose of monitoring. He directed that a programme should be chalked out for the training of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in a professional manner.