LAHORE  -  Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique reiterated on Friday that providing the best treatment and care to patients in public sector hospitals was the government’s top priority.

He made these remarks during a visit to the IT Centre, where he chaired a meeting of the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education. The minister assured that all available resources are being utilized to enhance the conditions of government hospitals. Taking strict notice of the non-functioning ventilators in the ICUs of six government hospitals, he directed immediate corrective measures. “No patient visiting government hospitals should face any difficulty. Medical Superintendents (MSs) must ensure the creation of necessary facilities and improve service delivery,” he stated.

He further noted that the turnover of patients and the quality of medical facilities provided in public hospitals are being continuously monitored. Earlier, Director IT Abdul Wahab presented a briefing on live dashboards, detailing real-time data on hospital performance. The minister reviewed the treatment and care of patients, the overall medical facilities in government hospitals, and data on patients affected by smog. He also examined emergency services provided during the ongoing smog crisis. Additional Secretary Technical Dr. Muhammad Waseem and other senior officials were also present at the meeting.