Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high level meeting in which he reviewed the steps taken to improve the healthcare facilities in the province.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that the provision of quality and modern medical facilities and standardised medicines to people was his mission, one that will be fulfilled at all costs. He vowed to eliminate all businesses of fake and substandard medicines from the province. Punjab government, he added, introduced modern system of purchase, supply and distribution of medicines to end sale of counterfeit and substandard medicines.
He said that samples of medicines were being sent to the renowned laboratories of the world for examination.
Punjab will break away from spurious and substandard medicines, he added. He said that it was the responsibility of the government to provide cheap and quality medicines to the people. Provision of cheap and quality medicines could be possible if we import generic drugs, he added. He directed the responsible departments to prepare a plan for importing generic drugs. He further ordered a crackdown on factories that prepare counterfeit and substandard medicines and to take indiscriminate action against those involved in the heinous crime.
He also gave approval for cash rewards of Rs 1 million to be given to whistle blowers.
He said that it was very unfortunate that machinery worth billions of rupees, bought by the government, is rusting in the hospitals and is not being used by the doctors. This, he said, was a disservice to the patients who are critically in need of these machines.
The CM added that theft of public money would not be tolerated at any cost. He said that the Punjab government had provided funds worth billions of rupees for the improvement of public health facilities in the province and every common man would benefit from it. He said that if the machinery, purchased for the patients at such a staggering cost, remains unpacked and is not brought in use, then strict action will be taken against those responsible for it. He directed the respective authorities to prepare an effective plan for proper disposal of hospital waste and to speed up the process of installation of incinerators to the hospitals.
Provincial Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Khawaja Imran Nazir, chief secretary, chairman P&D, secretaries of the concerning departments, health experts and other high level officials also attended the meeting.
