CM reviews healthcare projects, approves more fund 

• Committee presents investigation report on fake stents’ implantation
• Govt in collaboration with Turkey plans to establish warehouses for medicines

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to review the measures taken for the improvement of the healthcare system and assured the expansion of National Health Insurance Programme to all districts of the province.

Indus Hospital CEO Dr Abdul Bari, Provincial Ministers Kh Salman Rafiq, Kh Imran Nazir, Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Advisor Umar Saif and the chief secretary, additional chief secretary, secretary (health), health experts and the other concerned officers attended the meeting.

The CM Inspection Team chairman presented the initial investigation report on implantation of sub-standard stents to patients in Mayo Hospital. In the meeting, the public-private partnership model for the construction of new hospitals was also reviewed.

The CM took notice of a death of a female patient in Services Hospital due to non-availability of the ventilators and ordered King Edwards Medical University vice-chancellor to present a report.

While addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that National Health Insurance Programme would prove to be a great project and assured its expansion to the whole province in phases.  In the first phase, the programme would be expanded to the south Punjab and the government would provide all-out resources to expand it to all 36 districts and he ordered the authorities concerned to prepare a roadmap for the programme, he added.

He said, “We have to change the system that only provides health facilities to the rich whereas the poor die without getting any medical aid and the state is responsible for providing standardised health facilities to the citizens and we will discharge this responsibility at any cost”.

The CM emphasised that the government would take every possible measure for the provision of best healthcare system, “We have to correct this system and proceed forward in a professional way. It is the time for action, not for rhetoric” he added.

The chief minister further said that the beds for the private hospitals would be obtained from the resources of Punjab Government and, he ordered the authorities to demarcate the pieces of land for the establishment of hospitals at the divisional headquarters under the public-private partnership.

Sharif said a new system based on modern technology would be introduced for the purchase, transportation, distribution and the storage of medicines to ensure its availability to the common masses. The government in collaboration with Turkey Health Ministry has been planning to set up warehouses for the medicines and five warehouses would be established by the end of current year.

The CM assured that the development and health projects would be completed transparently.

Sharif informed that for the completion of healthcare projects, a cabinet committee had been established and provided with the fund amounting to Rs. 100 million.

CM reviews progress on 100-Bed Manawan Hospital

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to review the progress of the under-construction 100-Bed Manawan Hospital in Lahore.

Provincial Assembly Members Rama Tajjamal Hussan, Malik Ghulam Habib Awan, Indus Hospital Regional Board Chairman Mian Muhammad Ehsan, Indus Hospital CEO Dr Abdul Bari, Lahore Division Commissioner Talha Barki, Primary and Secondary Health Secretary and DC Lahore attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the administration of the Indus Hospital has done a praiseworthy job by successfully managing Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Badian Road Hospital and the same model would be followed in the case of Manawan Hospital.