Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafiq, while talking to the Danish Ambassador to Pakistan Ole Thonke, said that Punjab government is paying special attention to the development of the health sector and is taking concrete steps for provision of health facilities including tertiary care hospitals and primary and secondary health care systems. He said that Punjab government would welcome the cooperation offered by Danish government for providing training – theoretical and practical – for doctors, nurses and health educationists in order to control diabetes in Punjab.
On this occasion, Commercial Advisor Royal Danish Embassy Aslam Pervaiz, Project Manager Novo Nordisk Pharma Dr Kashif Sohail, Additional Secretary Health Dr Salman Shahid, Professor Khadija Irfan from Lahore Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Professor Irfan and other officers were also present.
It was informed to the attendees of the meeting that diabetic forum has been established with the collaboration of Denmark and that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has also been signed between Punjab Health Department and the Danish company to prevent diabetes. In order to enhance this cooperation, a decision has been made to start pilot projects for the training of doctors, nurses and health educators to handle diabetic patients.
Dr Khadija Irfan informed that refresher courses for doctors of public sector hospitals of Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Sialkot have been finalised in the first phase of the programme. This training programme will start from the first week of July.
Khawaja Salman Rafiq observed that diabetes is spreading rapidly in the society and becoming a major cause for cardiac diseases, blindness and renal failure He said that after completion of pilot project, training programmes for physicians would be launched at all divisional headquarters. Prof Khadija Irfan said that the training session would start from the first week of July.
It was informed that all the logistical support and the expenditure of training would be met by Novo Nordisk Pharma.
Thonke said that Pakistanis have extraordinary talent and have the potential to serve humanity all over the world.
