GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS PROVIDING HEALTH FACILITIES TO MILLIONS PEOPLE

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that government hospitals have been providing treatment facilities to the millions people and the doctors saving thousand lives every year in the province. He further said that Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has enhanced the health budget from Rs. 18 billion to 102 billion, during the last six years. He said that there will be no compromise on the cleanliness in government hospitals and clear cut instructions have been issued to all the public sector hospitals in this regard.

He stated this while addressing a function in Lady Aitcheson Hospital in connection with the anti-dengue drive and cleanliness week here today. Majid Zahoor MPA, DG Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Medical Superintendent Dr. Sohail Saqlain, President Patient’s Welfare Society Mian Waqar Ahmed and a large number of doctors and nurses and paramedics attend the function. Dr. Sohail Saqlain, in his welcome address, said that the role of doctors, nurses and the paramedics staff is very important in the treatment of the patients. He said that actually this is a triangular process which plays a vital role in curing the patients. Dr. Sohail said that he believes in team work and will carry all the staff in the betterment of Lady Aitcheson Hospital.

Khawaja Salman Rafique said that, during the past three years, tremendous work has been done in controlling dengue and the doctors and other experts are at par with the international experts in their knowledge and experience. He said that special focus must be given on the cleanliness in the hospitals in making them dengue free. Khawaja Salman Rafique observed that a number of attendants and relatives come with a single patient, it is their duty to not throw articles, shopping bags and solid waste here and there to keep the hospitals clean.

Khawaja Salman Rafique pointed out that 2014 would be a very important year for Health Department and a number of reforms are being introduced during the next year. He said that district and tehsil headquarter hospitals and health centres are being upgraded to reduce the work load on the teaching hospitals, for which about 2000 doctors have been recently posted in those hospitals.

He said that another 800 women medical officers are being recruited through Punjab Public Service Commission very soon, due to which working of government hospitals will further improve by posting of these WMOs. He said that next year, experts are of the opinion that the cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may increase therefore, the clinicians have to work with even more dedication and hard work. While responding to a question, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that Health Department is completely implementing the accord which was decided earlier.

He said that every week YDA office-bearers and the officers of Health Department, including himself, sit together to review the pace of implementation. Khawaja Salman further said that a meeting is going to be held within next two days in which YDA would again be taken into confidence. He said that the retired medical teachers would be included in the search committees which are being constituted for the posting of EDOs health and Medical Superintendents of government hospitals.

Earlier, Majid Zahoor MPA also spoke on the occasion and expressed his satisfaction over the performance of the Lady Aitcheson Hospital. He said that PML-N government believes in serving the masses.