Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over three hours long high-level meeting here on Friday and reviewed initiatives regarding reforms for the provision of standard medical facilities to the public.
Important decisions, including starting of motorbike ambulance service in nine divisions of the province, extension of Prime Minister National Health Insurance Programme to all districts of Punjab, and additional allowance for extra duties of Rescue 1122 staff were accorded approval.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that it’s time to take practical steps by striving hard to attain goals which have been set for improvement of the healthcare system.
He assured that Punjab government will provide all-out resources for the betterment of public health programme like before. He said that ambulance service has been handed over to Rescue 1122 and Punjab will be the very first province of Pakistan where ambulance service will be operated under integrated network, which will help patients to reach the hospital in time. After the approval of the extension of motorbike ambulance in nine divisions of the province simultaneously, he said it will help reach the patients in narrow streets and tight corners.
He said that Prime Minister’s National Health Insurance Programme is an important step to provide quality medical treatment to the poor and needy people; therefore, it will be started in all districts of Punjab at the emergency basis. He applauded the cooperation of Turkey in this regard, adding that next batch of nurses and rescuers will soon head to Turkey for their professional training.
He directed to start Turkey’s universal health insurance scheme in Punjab soon, and take effective measures for the provision of standard medical facilities in the emergencies of tehsil and district headquarters hospitals without wasting any time. Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education secretary briefed participants of the meeting in detail about these initiatives, and Rescue 1122 DG shared headway on the implementation of motorbike ambulances and a new system of ambulance service.
Provincial ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, additional chief secretary, planning and development chairman, secretaries of concerned departments, medical experts and senior officials attended the meeting.
