Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that lady health workers (LHWs) are playing an effective role in creating awareness regarding hygiene and health education. LHWs programme has laid the foundation of a revolution in preventive health and the government is focusing on prevention of diseases and primary healthcare.
He was addressing a conference organised by the National Programme for Primary Health and Family Planning in connection with the further strengthening role of LHWs in primary healthcare, here on Wednesday.
Additional Director General Integrated Reproductive Mother, Neonatal and Child Health Programme Dr Ijaz Ahmad Sheikh, Dr Akhtar Rasheed Malik, representatives of international development partners, EDOs Health, District Co-ordinators of MNCH, lady health supervisors and LHWs attended the conference.
Different working groups were constituted to prepare recommendations for determining role of LHWs to strengthen the IRMNCH programme and prevention of diseases. Kh Salman said the international development partners including WHO have acknowledged that the healthcare delivery system and infrastructure of health sector in Punjab is far better than other regions of the country due to which only four polio cases were reported in Punjab during 2014 as compared to more than 300 polio cases in the rest of the country.
He said no confirmed dengue patient has so far been reported in Punjab during the current year. These achievements are the result of better administrative decisions and hard work of the health officials. He said Punjab has a huge infrastructure of health and there are lot of issues. The government is paying special attention to the development of health sector and up-gradation of infrastructure. He stressed upon the officers and workers to discharge their responsibilities with commitment, dedication and honesty instead of any fear or pressure of any person. The Adviser pointed out that as more than 300 cases of polio in other areas of the country, Punjab Health Department has to focus on controlling polio due to which other programmes are being compromised which need more attention.