Proper use of resources can enhance the efficiency of the HD:Kh Salman

Lahore: Secretary Health Punjab Hassan Iqbal has said that proper use of resources can enhance the efficiency of the department which would improve the present healthcare delivery system. He said that strengthening of BHUs and RHCs is essential for the success of primary healthcare system for which restructuring of the department is inevitable.

He said this while presiding over a meeting on measles situation in Punjab. Besides, Commissioner and DCO Lahore Naseem Nawaz and Naseem Sadiq, Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University Prof. Dr. Faisal Masood, Director General Health Punjab Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Additional Secretary Health (Technical) Dr. Anwar Janjua, WHO’s immunization Consultant Prof. Tariq Bhutta, Dr. Aslam Chaudhary from Bill Gates Foundation, Director Health EPI Dr. Munir Ahmed, Chairman PITB, Umar Saif were present in the meeting. Former Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique especially attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the effects of the last month’s anti-measles campaign in Lahore are being witnessed as the cases of measles in Lahore are decreasing whereas 90 percent measles patients are coming from other districts to Lahore. DG Health informed that guidelines prepared by a high level committee consisting of senior consultants for the treatment and management of measles patients are being sent to the districts as well as tehsil Headquarter hospitals for the treatment of measles patients at local hospitals. Medical Director Children Hospital Prof. Dr. Ehsan Waheed Rathor said that measles patients can be treated at district hospitals conveniently as all the facilities are available at local level but unfortunately these hospitals refers the children to Lahore. He said that due to long hours traveling not only the condition of the patients becomes serious but the poor parents have to bear the traveling expenditures. Moreover, the city’s teaching hospitals are already overburdened.

Secretary Health observed that every DHQ and THQ hospitals have pediatricians. He directed that these hospitals should not refer the measles patients to Lahore unnecessarily and if children have to be referred to Lahore, the pediatricians must write the reasons for referring. Hassan Iqbal said that the restructuring of the health department and bringing in order is essential to enhance its efficiency. He said that 60 percent of health sector consisted of the preventive while 40 percent on curative but we are spending 90 percent of health budget on the treatment side. He said that health managers did not pay due attention to the preventive side.

Secretary Health directed that all the additional as well as deputy secretaries of the department should monitor the treatment facilities for the measles patients in the government hospitals of Lahore. He said that vigorous public awareness activities on regular basis are necessary to check the spread of diseases. He said that people should realize that the vaccination of their children is very important for saving their lives.

On this occasion, former Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that we have to work hard to control the diseases as the Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is focusing on the provision of best medical facilities to the people of Punjab and health department should come up to the expectations of the Chief Minister.