Advisor to Chief Minister (CM) Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that under the CM’s Health Roadmap, the primary healthcare system is being upgraded so that basic health facilities can be provided to all citizens, and so that they can be protected against diseases.
He said that reforms are being introduced into the Health Department so that it can be harmonised with the demands of the modern age. Furthermore, district health managers and medical superintendents are also being trained on modern lines for the same purpose.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony for the training of 216 Health Managers as master trainers at Punjab Health Development Centre, today.
Vice Chancellor University of Health Sciences (UHS) Prof. Dr. Maj. General (R) Muhammad Aslam, Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Dean Institute of Public Health Prof. Moaz Ahmed, Project Director Policy & Strategic Planning Unit Health Department Ali Bahadar Qazi, Coordinator TRF plus Dr. Anwar Junjua, as well as medical experts, were present on the occasion.
Rafique said that professionals will have to lead the health sector and the government will provide resources and political commitment for this purpose. He said that the development of the health sector, and provision of the best treatment facilities to the masses, is the mission of the CM. He said that it is time to bring changes and introduce such a mechanism under which every person is accountable with regard to his responsibilities, where the entire system is constantly monitored and scrutinized.
He said that Pakistani doctors are very hard working compared to foreign countries. In another country, a doctor examines only ten patients while in Pakistan a doctor would have to treat around 150. Rafique said that the workload in tertiary hospitals cannot be reduced without strengthening the primary healthcare system. He said that eight to nine hundred doctors have been posted at basic health units, and rural health centres, during the last few months, under the Chief Minister’s Health Roadmap, while BHUs and RHCs are also being rehabilitated. Moreover, he said that 172 assistants have recently been recruited to monitor and evaluate the health centres. He further said that the government has eliminated political interference in the Health Department and postings and transfers are being made on basis of merit.
Rafique appreciated the administrative qualities of Director PHDC Dr. Sohail Saqlain and said that he has revived the institution and launched several programmes to train health managers within a very short period. Earlier, Director Policy & Strategic Planning Unit Ali Bahadar Qazi shed some light on the aims and objectives of the training programme, and the role of PSPU. He said that the training programme would bring about important changes at grassroots level. The ceremony was also addressed by Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Dr. Zahid Pervaiz and Dr. Anwar Janjua of TRF Plus, all of whom assured their full cooperation for the training of district health managers as master trainers.
