In order to provide better health facilities to the patients in government hospitals, Punjab government has started implementing Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap and Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif approved the plan of up-gradation of primary and secondary hospitals, said Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Raffique has while presiding over a meeting of government hospitals of Gujranwala Division at Gujrat District Coordination Officer (DCO) office on Sunday.
Secretary Health Jawwad Raffique Malik, Gujranwala Division Commissioner Shumail Ahmad Khawaja, Parliamentary Secretary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir, DCOs of Gujranwala division, Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz. Elected public representatives, EDOs Health, medical superintendents of the hospitals and officers of the development departments attended the meeting.
Secretary Health Jawwad Raffique Malik briefed about the measures taken by the government for the improvement of government hospitals.
Khawaja Salman Raffique said that improvement in health sector is the top priority of the government.
“There are so many challenges which the government has to redress,” he said, adding that a comprehensive development plan for primary and secondary healthcare has been introduced in Punjab through which the performance of government hospitals would be significantly enhanced. He said that these hospitals had been facing issues for the last many decades.
Raffique said that he, himself and the secretary health will be visiting the hospitals throughout the province to review the problems of the hospitals to take effective measures for their solution. He said that consultants would be appointed in all DHQs and THQs hospitals for which the chief minister had already approved a package of special incentives for these doctors while strict monitoring of the hospitals would also be carried out.
Secretary Health Jawwad Refigure Malik while briefing the meeting said that all vacant posts of MOs/WMOs in BHUs and RHCs would be filled by March 31 through walk-in interviews policy. He said that 100% availability of 18 essential medicines would also be ensured at the centres and district governments can purchase locally these medicines from the market for which budget had already been released. He said that absenteeism in the hospitals would not be tolerated. He directed the officers that during duty hours, doctors of health centres should not be called in the offices and all the doctors performing special duties should immediately be posted at their original place of posting. He said that 24 hours delivery/labour room facility would be provided in 550 BHUs under 24/7 programme.
The secretary health further informed that doctors would be recruited through PPSC and by promotion at 700 vacant seats of specialist doctors in 36 DHQs and 109 THQs hospitals. He said that the government has announced attractive package for the doctors to overcome the shortage of doctors in far-flung areas. He said that these doctors would be given Rs 30,000 to 60,000 per month according to the laid down criteria. He said that the chief minister had constituted four Zonal Selection Committees at Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. He said that all recruitments would only be carried out purely on merit basis.
He said that biometric system is being introduced in all health facilities to ensure attendance of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. He said that repair and maintenance of equipment would also be ensured and infrastructure of hospitals would also be uplifted under Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap. He said that Central Uniform Rates are being introduced for the purchase of medicines for future. He directed the DCOs to play an effective role for the improvement of government hospitals. He said that government would award DCOs and EDOs Health for their outstanding performance while action would be taken against the officers who will not improve their performance.
