LAHORE: Health Minister Punjab Khawaja Salman Rafiq on Friday said that government of Punjab is planning to increase the limit of Sehat Card from Rs 10 lac to Rs 20 lac.
While responding to the questions in the House, the minister said this initiative will be announced in the up coming budget.
He said only those hospitals will be taken in the panel who have Health Care Commission certificate.
The Punjab Assembly session started with a delay of 2 hours and 42 minutes, under the chair of Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar .
In response to a question by opposition member Nadeem Qureshi, Health Minister Salman Rafiq said that so far, Rs 1.338 billion has been spent on the construction, upgradation, and renovation of Nishtar Hospital Multan, Children’s Hospital Multan, and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology Multan.
He said that teaching hospitals in Lahore, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Sialkot, and Sargodha are being upgraded and renovated.
Salman Rafiq said government is bringing improvements in the medical field, including nursing curriculum, washrooms, technical training, and human resources development.
He also said government is upgrading theatres in public hospitals on demand, elevators, and machines according to the budget.
He also clarified that the Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology in Multan has 31 beds in the emergency department, not 67, and the average cost per patient is not Rs 6-7 lakh. Opposition member Nadeem Qureshi questioned the government, saying that 95% of patients are treated privately in this hospital, and there are only 7 ventilators instead of 31.
Salman Rafique promised to increase the number of beds in the Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology to over 100 and make further improvements. Khawaja Salman Rafiq appreciated the suggestion.
Khawaja Salman Rafiq said in 2014, Nawaz Sharif initiated the Health Card program, and launched the first health card in Rahim Yar Khan during the PML ( N) government.
He said we established a company for the health card. He was the chairman of that company and later launched the health card in 70 districts. The PTI government transferred the health card to Universal Health Insurance ( UHI).
He alleged that PTI provided health cards to every billionaire and included even those hospitals that had the capacity of 10 beds.
Opposition member Nadeem Qureshi alleged that in Lahore’s hospitals alone, Rs 92 crore has been spent.
Qureshi also alleged that instead of medical equipment, theatres are being renovated with commissions ranging from 5 to 20 percent, and funds are being misused on flooring, tiles, doors, and ceilings.
Nadeem Qureshi questioned why hospitals are being renovated like wedding venues, and why paint is being applied when machinery is needed for patients.
Salman Rafiq replied that hospital renovation and flooring are necessary for improvement, and separate funds are allocated for replacing beds and machines.
Salman said government is bringing improvements in CT scans, ventilators, and machines across Punjab’s hospitals, but it’s not possible to replace all machinery in every hospital.
He warned that if allegations are made, he will also mention the corruption of the Founder PTI.
Salman claimed that his brother was wrongly imprisoned for contesting elections against founder PTI.
Rafiq mentioned that the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore has a central lab with two collection points, OPD and emergency.
MPA Amjad Ali Javed while criticising the health department said that department of hospital renovation is a sensitive area where big stories are being created.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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