LAHORE - The Punjab government has decided to digitalise the system of availability and provision of free medicines to the patients in hospitals under a phased programme.
The system will help in checking of embezzlement of free medicines in the hospitals and ensure provision of free medicines to the patients.
Presiding over a meeting yesterday, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed to constitute a cabinet committee for taking immediate decisions for achieving the targets fixed in health sector. He said that the cabinet committee will be completely independent administratively.
The committee will take its decisions for the improvement of public health facilities and ensure their implementation, he added.
Addressing the meeting which continued for four hours, the chief minister said that provision of best treatment facilities to the people of the province is mission of the government.
He also warned of action against the EDOs Health and administrative officers who show poor performance.
“The Punjab government has given the biggest budget of the history of health sector,” the CM said, adding that the results with regarding health facilities should be brought to public.
Shehbaz further directed the authorities to ensure achievement of fixed targets and make effort to treat ailing humanity in tehsil and district headquarters hospitals and rural and basic health centers. “Immediate steps should be taken for removing the shortage of medical staff in rural and basic health centers,” he ordered.
Provincial Minister for Finance Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Parliamentary Secretary on Health Kh Imran Nazir, MPA Dr Nadia Aziz, Additional Chief Secretary, Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University, senior officials and medical experts attended the meeting.
Adviser on Health Kh Salman Rafique, Secretary Specialized Health & Medical Education, Secretary Primary & Secondary Health and the DG Health Punjab from Rawalpindi while MPA Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakaht participated the meeting from Rahim Yar Khan through video link.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a two-member committee, headed by Chairman Chief Minister’s Inspection Team Irfan Ali, which will investigate into a book containing offensive content against a particular segment of society.
The committee will submit its report within three days. Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi will be member of the committee.
The committee will investigate as to why the offensive content published in 2010 edition of the book written by Abdul Hameed Taga and Abdul Aziz Taga remained un-noticed till now.
The committee will recommend a way forward for removal of this offensive content from the book available in the market forthwith.
The committee will also review the existing mechanism to check the quality of content being published by private authors/publishers.
The CM has directed the committee to fix the responsibility of negligence in including objectionable material in the book and submit its report.
GAVI lauds Shehbaz for e-Vaccs: Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization (GAVI) has appreciated the steps taken under the dynamic leadership of Shehbaz Sharif for the development of health sector particularly routine immunization and eradication of polio and measles.
At a meeting of Health Department presided over by Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself, the GAVI officials said that the vaccination programme in Punjab was being carried out in best manner.
“The e-Vaccs system with the cooperation of Punjab Information Technology Board is highly effective and commendable and encouraging results have come fore through its implementation and its basic reason is the determined leadership of Shehbaz Sharif,” said the members of GAVI delegation.
“No doubt, use of modern technology for improving public health facilities is a unique step of Punjab government and we are happy that Punjab government has achieved the targets of vaccination programme,” they added.
They said that the e-Vaccs is such a splendid system of Punjab government as they will introduce it to ten other countries.