Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has directed the medical superintendents of district and tehsil headquarter hospitals (DHQs and THQs) to maintain the minimum service delivery standards (MSDS) and provide quality healthcare to patients. The revamping of these hospitals is also being expedited. He directed that all efforts should be made to achieve the set targets.
He stated this while addressing the monthly conference of medical superintendents of DHQs and THQs at the office of the directorate of Punjab health services here on Sunday.
Nazir reiterated that the target of revamping of 40 DHQs and THQs would be achieved during the current financial year. Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan informed the minister that emergency medical officers were being posted in all districts headquarter hospitals and that their salary package would vary according to the distance between the hospitals and their residences, up to Rs 250,000. He said that for nearby districts like Kasur and Sheikhupura, the salary package would be Rs 100,000, whereas for more far flung areas such as Rajanpur it would be Rs 250,000 per month.
He further said that the officers would be exempted from medico-legal duties. The minister said that information technology would be used and android applications would be introduced to monitor the performance of the medical superintendents. Nazir further said that the primary and secondary healthcare system was being strengthened to ensure complete healthcare coverage.
Apart from the appointment of specialist doctors, intensive care units (ICUs) consisting of 5 beds would also be established in each DHQ along with ventilators in order to provide the care required by serious patients.
The minister said that an integrated referral system had been introduced which uses a pool of ambulances under the control of rescue-1122 for shifting serious patients from small hospitals to tertiary level hospitals for advanced treatment without delay.
He said that this ambulance pool had been set up at the district level. The minister directed the superintendents to ensure biometric attendance of hospital staff, availability of medicines, and cleanliness in the hospitals. He stressed that the medical superintendents should be more vigilant in executing their duties.
Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan, Health Director General Dr Faisal Zahoor, the directors of vertical health programmes, senior officers of the department, and medical superintendents were among those present during the meeting.
