LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting yesterday, in which progress of Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap Programme was reviewed in detail.
The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the progress of targets fixed under Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap Programme during last three months.
The meeting gave approval to PGR rotation policy for meeting the shortage of specialist doctors in hospitals and decided to start queue management system in five districts of Punjab.
The meeting also decided to launch telemedicine programme in basic health centers.
Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that work would have to be carried out with hard work and commitment for providing best treatment facilities to the masses. He directed that the achievement of targets fixed under roadmap programme during next three months should be ensued at every cost.
He said that best results of effective implementation of vaccination programme have come fore. He said that Punjab government has decided to start telemedicine programme at basic health centers.
The chief minister said that basic health centers will be linked through information technology. He said that the doctor will also be able to provide treatment to the patient at other basic health center through telemedicine. He said that under the first phase, 120 basic health centers will be linked with telemedicine.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the attendance of doctors and medical staff in hospitals has improved considerably through biometric system. He said that the process of improving treatment facilities through information technology should be continued.
He said that we all have to work collectively with hard work for improving public health facilities. He directed that cleanliness system of hospitals should further be improved and an effective plan for strengthening management of hospitals should be formulated and presented. He said that provision of free medicines to the patients should be continued on priority basis.
He said that the resources of billions of rupees were provided earlier for providing quality medical facilities to the people and will be provided in future as well. He said that implementation of reforms programme for uplift of health sector has yielded best results.
Shehbaz Sharif directed that audit of functional and non-functional machinery of the hospitals should be completed at the earliest. He said that the achievement of targets fixed for provision of best treatment facilities to the people should be top priority. He said that it has been decided to start queue management system in five districts of Punjab which will rid the patients of inconvenience of waiting.
He said that heavy responsibility lies on administrative and district officers of the districts for achieving targets of Health Reforms Programme and they have to discharge this responsibility. He said that result-oriented steps should be taken for achieving the targets of improving public health programme.
Chief Education Advisor Sir Michael Barber said that under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Punjab, speedy progress is being made on Health Reforms Roadmap Programme. He said that due to personal monitoring of Shehbaz Sharif of the steps for improvement of public health facilities, the situation has improved.
He said that under the hard work and vision of Shehbaz Sharif, achievement of targets fixed with regard to public health is being ensured. Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) while appreciating the vaccination programme of Punjab said that under the able leadership of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, vaccination programme is being implemented successfully.
It said that the considerable progress regarding vaccination programme of Punjab government is not only a role model for other provinces but for the remaining countries. Head of DFID Joanna Reid also congratulated Shehbaz Sharif over the substantial progress in vaccination programme. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Advisor Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, Advisor Economic Affairs Dr. Ijaz Nabi, Parliamentary Secretary on Health Khawaja Imran Nazir, Members Assembly, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Chief Education Advisor Sir Michael Barber, team of Health Roadmap Programme, representatives of World Bank and DFID as well as concerned officials attended the meeting. DCOs and EDOs of some districts also participated the meeting through video link.