'Government to provide healthcare facilities at grassroots level'

Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that the present government is paying full attention towards provision of state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people at grass root level. He stressed upon the doctors community for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitising the people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent cardio vascular diseases besides lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer.
He said that required funds are being provided to the specialised medical institutions for the provision of modern treatment facilities to the masses.
While talking to various delegations regarding World Blood Pressure Day, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that in Pakistan itself, more than 40% of the adultery population over the age of 45 suffers from one form or the other of non-communicable disease, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer and the trend seems to be on the rise. This increasing trend is likely to double the burden of disease in developing countries and clearly is likely to have significant health economic implications as a result of cost of care and lost productivity costs, he maintained.
He said that the risk factors involved in heart diseases could be controlled through exercises and spending simple life style, however, he also stressed the need for creating awareness among the general public about the heart diseases and their risk factors ie smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity as well as physical inactivity and use of tobacco. The people should live a simple life and change their eating habits to protect themselves from cardio-vascular diseases, he added.
The Minister said that Punjab government is focusing on the provision of education and healthcare facilities to the common people specially people living in remote and far flung areas and has taken revolutionary steps through re-engineering of resources in the field of education and health so that modern educational as well as latest medical facilities could be provided to the people at their door steps. He said under the directions of CM Punjab, the administrative affairs of the hospital are being corrected.
Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that by increasing the health budget up to 102 billion rupees, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines as well as air-conditioning in general wards to poor and resource less people. He said that huge amount of 7.5billon is being spent on the provision of free treatment and medicines to the poor and destitute in public sector hospitals of the province. The government was up-grading the status of DHQs, THQs and RHCs and surgeons, lady doctors and other infrastructure is being provided in these hospitals, he concluded.