Punjab Health Secretary, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan has stressed the need for adopting a strategy to gain maximum benefit from public sector hospitals, human resources and available medical facilities to a large extent, for which health managers will have to perform their duties with more commitment and responsibility.
He stated this while presiding over a meeting held to review one year's performance regarding UNICEF co-operation in the health programmes under Health Department Punjab, said an official here on Friday. Special Secretary Health Dawood Muhammad Breach, Provincial Chief of UNICEF Dr Muhammad Essay, Co-ordinator of UNICEF Dr Tahir Manzoor, senior officers of Health Department, Directors of Health Programmes and representatives of NGOs were also present.
The meeting reviewed in detail the performance and ongoing co-operation of UNICEF in Lady Health Workers Programme, EPI, MIS, nutrition programme, aids and other sectors and suggested measures for further promotion of this co-operation during next year.
The Secretary Health said UNICEF is an important partner of Health Department Punjab, which has provided invaluable financial and technical co-operation for the success of health programmes. He lauded the co-operation of UNICEF for health of mother and child and reducing the rate of mortality among them, controlling polio and other diseases, removing nutrition deficiency among children, checking aids and modernisation of health information management system.
"A large infrastructure from basic health units to tertiary care of the hospitals and vast human resources in the shape of doctors, nurses, LHW, LHV and paramedics is available in government sector. It is need of the hour that high-ups of health department should pay attention to provide best healthcare facilities to the people by utilising these resources," he added.
According to him, in order to reduce mortality rate among mother and children and saving them from complications it is necessary that they should be discharged from the hospital after complete check-up instead of within few hours of delivery. While giving targets to health managers their monitoring is necessary for achieving these targets.
Those showing outstanding performance should be encouraged, while those displaying bad performance should be held accountable, so that maximum benefit could be gained from public sector resources. Provincial Chief of UNICEF Dr Essay appreciated the measures of the Punjab government for the uplift of health department and assured his complete co-operation and gave suggestions for further activation and success of health sector programme.