Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that white paper regarding performance of health sector of Punjab by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf is a futile effort to hide the poor performance of PTI in Khyber Pakhutnkhwa and hoodwinking the people.
He said Punjab health indicators are best in the entire country which has also been acknowledged by all international partners including World Health Organization.
Commenting upon the white paper issued by PTI, Rafique said there was ratio of one doctor for 14,00 persons in Punjab in 2007 which has become one doctor for 1,127 persons in 2015 while the standard fixed by WHO is one doctor for 1,000 persons and Punjab is near to achieve this target. He said that this ratio in India is one doctor for 1,800 person. Similarly, he said that the rate of disease of tuberculosis is stagnant at 3.3 percent for the last many years and due to availability of free treatment for the patients, the death rate of tuberculosis patients has reduced. He said operations of liver and kidney transplantation are being carried out successfully while Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Research Institute is also being set up at a cost of Rs 16 billion. He said the PTI government in KP has not still started to think about it.
Rafique said that three years’ programme is being implemented in Punjab for checking hepatitis B and C at a cost of Rs 2407.2 million whereas Rs 3578 million will be spent for this programme during next two years. He said that besides teaching hospitals, diagnostic and treatment facilities of hepatitis are being provided in all district headquarters hospitals and also in selected THQ hospitals and free injections and medicines are being provided to more than 30,000 poor patients annually. He said the Health Department has also vaccinated more than 350,000 persons of high risk group against hepatitis B. He said that due to strict monitoring and implementation of Chief Minister’ Health Roadmap Programme, besides ensuring attendance of doctors at 75 percent basic health centers of the province, 90 to 100 percent medicines are available at all health centres, DHQ and THQ hospitals. He said the government has allocated a huge amount of Rs 10.8 billion for providing free medicines to the patients during current year.
Rafique said that 500 specialist doctors have been appointed on attractive salaries in district and tehsil headquarters hospitals while labour room facility is being provided at 700 basic health units under 24/7 programme for controlling death during delivery. He said there is not a single hospital like Children Hospital Lahore in KP and the patients from KP are also brought to Children Hospital where their complex operations and treatment is carried out. He said that specialized institutions are working at Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan for cardiac patients while treatment and operation facility of cardiac patients is also available in other teaching hospitals. He said free medicines of one month are being provided to 2,000 patients daily in outdoor of PIC while operation of heart and other procedures are done on daily basis. However, there is great rush of patients, he added.
Rafique said that those pointing finger to performance of Punjab should peep into their conscience. He said that people have once again reposed full confidence in the performance of PML-N in local bodies’ elections. He said that PTI should learn a lesson and should improve the performance of its government in KP by quitting the politics of allegations.
