Modern health facilities are being extended to the people under a 'revolutionary strategy' and all basic health centers have been made functional besides availability of doctors and medicines has been ensured under Health Sector Reforms Programme (HSRP).
Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, stated this, while addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of new out-patients department (OPD), residential block and inaugural ceremony of cardiac CT Scan at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), here on Wednesday.
The CM maintained that PIC was a unique and important institution with regard to treatment of cardiac diseases and government would provide amount of Rs 150 million to the institute in the budget 2007-08. He said that development schemes worth rupees one billion were being executed in PIC.
Provincial Minister for Health, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal and Chief Executive, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Professor Dr Jawad Sajid also spoke on the function. Provincial Minister for C&W, Chaudhry Zaheerud din, Secretary Health Raees Abbas Zaidi, Medical Superintendent PIC Dr Muhammad Riaz were also present on the occasion. Chairman Board of Management Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lieutenant General Muhammad Tariq (Retd) thanked the chief minister for his visit to the institute.
The chief minister further said that present government has made substantial increase in the salaries and incentives of doctors so that they could pay more attention to the treatment of patients. He said that 25 additional marks would be given to the doctors serving in rural areas for regular selection through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).
He said that residential facilities and pick and drop service were being provided to the children of doctors. The CM said that due to growing number of cardiac patients, the government was setting up cardiac centers in different cities of the province.
He said that a cardiac institute of international standard had become operational in Multan due to which modern treatment facilities of heart diseases would be available to a majority of patients of Southern Punjab. He said that the cardiac center in Faisalabad would be completed by October 2007, whereas foundation stone of a similar institute would soon be laid in Wazirabad.
Apart from setting up new hospitals, he said the government was also strengthening existing cardiac wards in public sector hospitals and in addition to provision necessary medicines and equipment, qualified doctors were being posted.
Chaudhry Perviaz Elahi further said that Rescue 1122 project had proved very successful with regard to provision of timely relief to the people in case of emergency and its performance has been exemplary in Lahore. He said that the scope of this project was now being extended to other major cities of the province and all arrangements had been completed in this regard.
He said the first international standard fire fighting service of the country would soon be launched in the province. This fire fighting service, to be equipped with modern equipment and trained staff, would be helpful in coping with the incidents of fire as well as other mishaps.
He said that 37 modern centers of emergency and fire fighting service were being established in 12 major cities of the province. The CM further said that government was paying special attention to the capacity building of nurses and services of international experts have been acquired for this purpose.
He said that government was also focusing on improvement of emergency wards in government hospitals and free medical facilities and medicines were being provided to the patients in these wards round the clock.
He further said that ISO certification for PIC was acknowledgement of the services of present government for health sector at international level. He said that the team of doctors headed by Professor Dr Jawad Sajid was playing commendable role with regard to treatment of cardiac patients.
He also paid tributes to former governor Punjab late Ghulam Jillani who established the PIC. Moreover, the CM also inaugurated Cardiac CT Scan, costing Rs 80 million at the PIC. He also unveiled the plaque of OPD and residential block. An amount of Rs 150 million will be spent on the construction of OPD while Rs 169 million will be spent on the construction of nursing hostel.
He said that provision of these facilities would improve the capacity of PIC with regard to treatment facilities of cardiac diseases. Speaking on the occasion, provincial Minister for Health, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, special attention had been paid to the uplift of health sector and all health centers were being up-graded under HSRP.
PIC Chief Executive Professor Dr Jawad Sajid said that international standard medical facilities were being extended to the patients at PIC. He said that PIC had become an institute of international standard due to the efforts of chief minister. He said that over 200,000 patients were provided medical assistance at the PIC last year.