LAHORE - The Health Department has prepared a plan for improvement of public health facilities, proposing to spend Rs 15 billion on infrastructure and provision of medical equipment in 28 major hospitals across the province. During a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat on Monday, officials of the Health Department briefed Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman regarding implementation of the plan. The meeting reviewed measures to improve healthcare in public hospitals and decided to hand over the parking of Lahore’s all government-run hospitals to the Lahore Parking Company (LPC). The chief secretary said that providing the best health and education facilities to people was a priority of the government. He said that under the health insurance programme, the best healthcare should be provided to eligible patients, adding that quality of facilities should inspire patients to opt for medical treatment in the public health facilities. He asked the deputy commissioners to pay special attention to improve the health and education sectors in districts. The chief secretary appreciated Deputy Commissioner Khanewal Waseem Hamid Sindhu for getting ISO certification for DHQ hospital. He ordered that the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners as heads of district and tehsil health councils should perform their duties in an active manner and ensure 100 per cent attendance of doctors and staff in hospitals. Secretary Health Ali Jan gave a detailed briefing at the meeting. He said that the revamping of DHQ and THQ hospitals would be completed by December. He mentioned that a digital record of patients is being maintained in all basic health units (BHUs). The administrative secretaries of various departments including finance and planning and development attended the meeting while all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.
MINISTER VISITS PIC, REVIEWS MEDICAL FACILITIES
Caretaker Provincial Health Minister Dr Javed Akram paid a surprise visit to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and reviewed medical facilities, being provided to patients. Chairman Board of Management Dr Farqad Alamgir also accompanied him. He asked patients about the medical facilities being provided to them. Executive Director PIC Prof. Dr. Ahmed Nauman and Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Tahsin briefed the caretaker minister about the specialised health facility. The minister said that medical facilities were being reviewed by visiting various government hospitals. Measures were being taken for providing better facilities to the patients at the PIC Lahore. Primary angioplasty was being carried out successfully in all cardiology hospitals of Punjab. Every patient, who comes to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, was important to the staff, he assured.
