International Health Conference kicks off in Lahore

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Kh. Salman Rafiq has said that there is need for honesty and hard work for strengthening of health sector and removing flaws of the system. He said that the safarish culture has weakened the system and far-reaching steps are being taken for removing this problem.

He was addressing the inaugural session of 3-day International Health Conference For Reforms In Secondary Healthcare System in Punjab at a local hotel here today. Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, representatives of World Health Organization, UNICEF, USAID, UNFP Save the Children Pakistan, DFID, officers of Health Department, Public Health experts, representatives of CM Health Roadmap and Dr. Ahmad Ravaghi of Egypt were present on the occasion.

The conference will continue for three days during which primary health experts will present practical recommendations and way forward for interlinking primary health to secondary healthcare and improvement of the system.

Kh.Salman Rafiq said that unfortunately Pakistan has the highest mother and child death rate in the world. He said that government is taking far-reaching measures for removing the flaws of primary and secondary healthcare system and improvement of health indicators. In the beginning of the conference, Kh. Salman Rafiq led fateha khawani for the children and teachers who were martyred in the incident of terrorism in Peshawar.Kh. Salman Rafiq could not control his emotions and was moved to tears. The conference strongly condemned incident of terrorism in Peshawar.

Addressing the inaugural session, Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, working groups have submitted their recommendations for reformation of health sector and also pointed out the flaws. He said that the purpose of the conference is to consolidate recommendations of the experts for the improvement of secondary healthcare system and to evolve a way forward for such a system in which merit, accountability, monitoring, award for hard workers and punishment on poor performance be included.

Earlier, representative of WHO from Egypt Dr. Ahmad Ravaghi presented a review about Punjab health system and situation in hospitals and preliminary recommendations for removing the existing shortcomings. After inaugural ceremony, technical session of the conference was started which will continue in December 19 and final recommendations will be formulated.