islamabad - Federal Minister for National Health Services (NHS) Amir Kiyani said that federal government following the health model of Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KPK) will issue health cards to the public to reduce the burden on government hospitals.  The minister said this during his visit to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to distribute gifts amongst hospitalized children.

Talking to media minister said that the health card issued to deserving people will support Rs500000 healthcare to them. The minister also said that PIMS hospital is working according to its capacity, however there is a severe shortage of hospitals in the country.  He added that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is taking personal interest in improving the healthcare system of the country.

The minister announced that expensive machinery at PIMS is dysfunctional and it is important to restore that equipment for the health of the public.  Minister Amir Kiyani also said that he will make efforts to repair the MRI machine and release the grant for the central cooling system of PIMS. 

The minister also said that health of mother and child is also a priority of the government and it will pay special focus on it. The minister also sought the records of pending projects of PIMS hospital and vowed to eliminate all hurdles in the way of completing them.

He said that all the data recording problems of PIMS will be collected to initiate the work on an emergency basis.  The minister also visited emergency department and cardiac centre of the hospital. Amir Kiyani on this occasion also held conversations with the patients and assured them that the government will provide best medical facilities at the hospital.  He said that te previous governments did not pay attention to the sectors of health and education while the government has set the target to bring revolutionary changes in both sectors.

In a separate event, secretary general Private Association of Medical Institutions (PAMI) Khaqan Waheed said Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and PAMI has reached an agreement under which the ministry of NHS will conduct the entry test exam of medical students in every province of the country.  He said that this step will ensure the merit in admissions in the medical colleges. “This year central admission policy will be also ensured and admissions will be taken under new policy,” he said.  PAMi secretary general in a press briefing held also said that no private medical college will be allowed charging more than 9500000 from any student and if a complaint against any medical college will be received, the case will be reported to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

He also added that the increase in the fee of medical education will be done according to the decision of Supreme Court (SC).

 He said that to maintain the standard of education in private colleges PAMI has formed an inspection team consisting of eminent professors and doctors from different medical colleges.  “The colleges lacking the prescribed criteria of PMDC will be given 4 to 6 months to cover the deficiencies and if it failed meeting the standards in given time the college will be closed,” he said.  Khaqan Waheed also said that according to the agreement with PMDC every student of the medical college will be bound to take insurance and in case of any unfortunate incident the insurance company will pay Rs2milion to the family of the student.  He also said that with the support of government PAMI can establish 70 hospitals in the country in a very minimal time.