ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday said that the government was focusing on the development of southern Punjab and would allocate maximum possible resources for development schemes.
The prime minister issued a directive to the Finance Division to clear all funds allocated to development schemes of south Punjab on the fast track. Talking to a delegation of PML-N members of National Assembly from Dera Ghazi Khan, the prime minister said that he would remain accessible to resolve any issue related to the development of D.G. Khan.
The MNAs briefed the prime minister regarding development schemes of their respective constituencies. The PM stated that the PML-N government strongly believes in public service and was working wholeheartedly to address public grievances. He advised the MNAs to work with full dedication for bringing about tangible positive change.
Federal Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Communications Hafiz Abdul Kareem, MNAs Amjad Farooq Khan, Jaffar Khan Leghari, Hafeez ur Rehman, Sultan Mehmood, Ashiq Hussain Gopang, Sahibzada Faiz ul Hassan, Saqalain Shah Bukhari and Shahnaz Saleem Malik attended the meeting.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present.
NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM TO BE EXPANDED:
Khaqan Abbasi has also directed the Ministry of National Health Services for a comprehensive plan to expand the outreach of PM’s National Health Program across the country.
The directions were passed by the PM while chairing a meeting on issues related to the Ministry of National Health Services. He directed that the regulatory mechanism regarding registration of drugs and pricing policy be further simplified to facilitate drug manufacturers and create a win-win situation for the consumers, drugs producers and importers.
Taking note of existing backlog in the registration and price fixation of various drugs, the prime minister directed the ministry to present a roadmap within 24 hours with specified timeline for clearing the backlog. He called for placing before the cabinet, comprehensive proposals and necessary legislation, if required, for addressing the issues and improving the drugs regulatory regime in the country.
National Health Services Minister Saira Afzal Tarar, and other senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting. The minister said that the government has undertaken major reforms across diverse areas in the last two years.
She said that these measures included the introduction of a comprehensive Drug Pricing Policy, launching of Prime Minister’s National Health Program, increase in coverage of children vaccinated under the Expanded Program on Immunization, as well as significant reduction of polio cases in the country. She also mentioned successful negotiation under the National Immunization Support Program for financial sustainability of immunisation services to women and children.
The health minister said that the Prime Minister’s National Health Program, which was started in 26 districts in the first phase, would be covering over three million families, and was the largest public health initiative in the country. The prime minister appreciated the progress being made under the programme and directed the ministry to work closely with the provincial governments in order to expand its outreach. Discussing the issues concerning DRAP, the prime minister observed that regulatory policies and framework should aim at facilitating international as well as local drugs manufacturers and promote healthy competition among the producers.
He said that the government was endeavouring to put in place, a congenial environment for the businesses to flourish and markets to grow further. He observed that the regulators’ job was to protect the consumers and facilitate business community to the maximum possible extent.
