Rawalpindi-The Provincial Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Dr Jamal Nasir said that the Punjab government is committed to provide better healthcare facilities to all the people without any discrimination.
He said that the immunization rate of children in Punjab province is the highest in the country, which is possible only because of the integrated system in the health sector and public awareness. He said that for any information related to public health, contact toll free numbers at 1166 and 1033.
Dr Jamal Nasir expressed these views while addressing a media workshop on immunization organized in collaboration with the Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Punjab and UNICEF in a local hotel here on Monday.
Besides media representatives, Director Health Rawalpindi Dr Ansir Ishaq, CEO Health Dr Ijaz, District Health Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani, Divisional Officer WHO Dr Asif Sehgal, UNICEF Immunization Officer Qaratul Ain, UNICEF Punjab Health Specialist Dr Manzoor and others were also present on the occasion.
He said that though the government has lack of funds but with the help of donors’ agencies and partners, such as World Health Organization, (WHO) UNICEF and GAVI the EPI project is carried on in the Punjab to protect the minor kids from 12 different diseases.
The minister said that the caretaker government in Punjab, in its short tenure of almost four months has provided the best healthcare facilities including laboratory tests and checkup to some 48000 prisoners detained in 43 jails of the province. Similarly, it had also given health amenities to some 17000 police officials.
He said that the interim government has also promoted the health officials including doctors, nurses, paramedic staff, Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), Lady Health Supervisors (LHSs) in the higher pay grades. He asserted that all these promotions made in the Health Department were totally on merit and without any recommendations.
“Provincial health department has created 1045 ad hoc jobs including 450 Consultants and 600 Medical Officer. All the people recruited on these jobs will be on purely merits. Like the incumbent Punjab government has provided 200 ambulances to the Basic Health Units (BHUs) and 300 Ultra Sound Machines to the hospitals located at remote villages of the province,” he said.
A service with the name of “Buraq” has been started by the health department Punjab in which qualified team of engineers would look after the maintenance and repair of the machinery and equipment installed in government hospitals at different stations of Punjab.
“The provincial government would have zero tolerance regarding the provision of medicine to the patient in the public sector hospitals. If it is proved that any medicine was available in the store of the hospital, and if the doctor asks the patient to buy the same medicine from the market, then it would be dealt with stern action,” Jamal added.
Earlier Director EPI Punjab Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Awan said in his briefing said that at present minor children are being given the dose against 12 diseases in which 10 are injectable and only two are oral in the shape of drops.
He apprised the gathering that some 3.39 million children are born every year only in Punjab province but due to good management of the Punjab government some 92 percent of the children have been covered up by EPI, which is the highest in the country. The increase in coverage was recorded 32 percent from 2011 to 2022 in Punjab.
Dr Tahir Manzoor and Dr Qurat-ul-Ain from UNICEF and Dr Asif Shahzad from WHO also spoke on the occasion. They said that the target of 100 percent coverage in expanded immunization programme should be achieved by teamwork.
They urged the media to play its role in creating awareness and removing the public apprehensions reading the programme.