Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has said that medical superintendents were the custodians and team leaders of government hospitals and have to effectively lead doctors, nurses, and paramedic staff for providing quality healthcare. They are responsible for implementing the government’s decisions and reforms agenda in the hospitals.
He said this while addressing the monthly meeting of medical superintendents of the 40 district and tehsil headquarters hospitals (DHQs and THQs) where a revamping plan is being implemented. The meeting reviewed the pace of work in every hospital individually.
Imran Nazir took serious note of the incident in THQ Gujra where doctors mistakenly carried out an eye operation on an elderly attendant instead of the patient. The minister directed the secretary to hold an inquiry of the incident, adding that action should be taken against those responsible.
During the meeting, necessary instructions were given to the medical superintendents regarding patient safety, infection control, and the surveillance of operation theaters. A patients’ record tracking system is also being established in every hospital, it was revealed.
Department Secretary Ali Jan Khan informed the meeting that janitorial services, security, parking, horticulture, landscaping, plumbing, clinical and electric works services in 40 DHQs and THQs have been outsourced. He said that the provision of missing medical equipment, removal of infrastructural faults of hospital buildings, and the outlook of the hospitals is also being improved to make the hospital environment friendly and pleasant for visitors.
The doctors and paramedics of the said hospitals have also been trained by the University of Health Sciences. The secretary said that all resources would be provided for improving the supply of electricity to hospitals. He said that the requirements of dual electricity supply and transformers would be met for which more than 300 million rupees have been allocated.
Besides Secretary Primary & Secondary Health Ali Jan Khan, Provincial Director IRMNCH Dr. Mukhtar Hussain Syed, Additional Secretaries of the department, officers of Project Management Unit, Director Policy & Strategic Planning Unit and Medical Superintendents of the hospitals attended the meeting.
