LAHORE: Primary & Secondary Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan has said that visible improvements have been made in the working of district and tehsil headquarters hospitals during the last one year.
However, a lot of improvement is still needed for which medical superintendents and the remaining staff has to execute their duties with professional dedication and hard working, he added.
He said that last year non-salary budget of these hospitals was Rs 6 billion which has been increased up to Rs 12 billion. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is providing funds openheartedly for the development of health sector, he added.
He stated this while addressing a monthly conference of medical superintendents of all the district and tehsil headquarter hospitals at a local hotel, here on Sunday., Special Secretary Health Dr. Faisal Zahoor, Provincial Director IRMNCH Program Dr. Mukhtar Husssain Syed, PMU team, Deputy Secretary Dr. Yaddullah and other concerned officers attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the progress on the implementation of revamping plan of 40 hospitals. It was decided that more incentives are to be given to the anesthetists to overcome the shortage of anesthesia doctors in DHQ and THQ hospitals. The meeting also reviewed the progress in the up-gradation of emergency departments of the hospitals, operationalisation of hepatitis filter clinics and capacity building and training of human resource.
Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has provided huge funds for health sector development. He said that the budget of primary & secondary health in December 2015 was Rs 52 billion which has now increased to Rs 112 billion. He said that the additional amount of 4.5 billion rupees has been allocated for purchase of high quality medicines from multinationals as well as nationally reputed companies for the patients.
Secretary Health further said that no compromise would be made on minimum service delivery standards in the hospitals. It was also decided to outsource the pathological laboratories of Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal hospitals. Ali Jan Khan further said that hospitals are being equipped with latest diagnostic and other treatment facilities and that the officers and the staff has to work with more dedication to develop the health sector according to the vision of Shahbaz Sharif.
