Punjab Government constitutes seven working groups for health sector reforms

Lahore: Punjab Government has constituted seven working groups for health sector reforms and resolving the issues confronted by the government hospitals. These groups would deliberate upon issues and furnish concrete short, medium and long term recommendations according to the areas assigned to them.

These groups comprising principals of medical colleges, professors, health professionals, health managers, DCOs and other senior officers and would furnish their recommendations by 25^th November to the Chief Secretary who forward these to Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for this approval.

It was stated by Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafique while presiding over a joint meeting of the working groups at Chief Minister Secretariat here today. Besides Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, elected public representatives, VC King Edward Medical University, Principals of medical colleges, professors, health experts, Head Chief Minister Health Roadmap Programme Aizaz Akhtar, District Coordination Officers and other senior officers attended the meeting.

Kh Salman Rafique said that these working groups would identify issues, prepare short term, medium and long term modalities, specifically spell out the objectives and outcomes, indicate the requirements of resources, identify key issues in assigned areas and suggest precise solutions and interventions.

The coordinator for the first group of autonomous medical institutions and tertiary healthcare is Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof. Mahmood Shaukat. Coordinator of Management Cadre and Human Resource Group is VC KEMU Prof. Faisal Masood, the third group of procurement purchase, and quality assurance of medicines will be coordinated by Pro-VC KEMU Prof. Dr. Asad Aslam Khan whereas Prof. Masood Sadiq Dean Children Hospital will coordinate paediatrics emergency and neonatology group, Chairman PITB Omer Saif is coordinating e-monitoring group.

Similarly, Ali Bahadur Qazi Programme Director PSPU has been nominated coordinator for DHQ/THQ hospitals working group and Mr. Aizaz Akhtar Head Chief Minister Health Roadmap Programme is coordinating primary healthcare group.