Secretary Health Punjab, Fawad Hassan Fawad has directed all Executive District Officers (EDO) Health to immediately chalk-out medical cover plan in collaboration with the officers of concerned departments for providing emergency medical treatment to the mourners and cope with any eventuality during Muharram-ul-Haram.
All concerned departments including notables of the community must be informed about the action plan, he said. He issued these directions while presiding over a departmental meeting, which was attended by Special Secretary Health Wasim Mukhtar, Director General Health, Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Secretary Health (Tech), Dr Mushtaq Ahmad and EDOs Health.
Fawad said officers of health department should maintain the same spirit during Ashura of Muharram which was expressed by them while providing health facilities to the flood affectees, and work with professional dedication and devotion wherein all arrangements should be finalised before the commencement of Muharram. He directed that all mourning processions must be provided medical cover, while an ambulance equipped with all necessary medical facilities and the staff must accompany the procession. He added that during the "Majalis", foolproof arrangements should be made for providing medical treatment to the mourners.
The secretary health also directed the officers to ensure their presence during 7th to 10th Muharram and monitor the activities personally. He asked EDOs that sufficient stock of blood must be arranged in the blood banks to meet any emergency. In this connection, a blood collection campaign should also be carried out, he maintained.
He directed the administration of all government hospitals that the staff should be high alert during Ashura and medical superintendents should finalise arrangements in this regard. He asked the administrators of government hospitals to ensure presence at the hospitals till conclusion of the main procession and Majalis-e-Azaa.
Meanwhile, health department of Punjab has released funds on account of daily wages employees of Multan Institute of Cardiology (MIC). A spokesman of the department told that Director Finance, MIC released an amount of Rs 185,7090/- through cheque no. 7064737 on account of salaries of the employees.