Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting, which reviewed the progress of Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap on Friday. A number of decisions were taken in the meeting with regard to provision of better treatment facilities to the citizens. Punjab Chief Minister also gave approval for up-gradation of 103 basic health centers and recruitments of 1,200 nurses and 178 pharmacists against additional vacancies.
The meeting also decided to give cash prizes and commendatory certificates to the hospital staff showing good performance on monthly basis at district, divisional and provincial level. Shehbaz Sharif directed that a comprehensive mechanism be evolved for evaluation of performance so that this programme could be implemented as early as possible. He said it will be mandatory for doctors getting MBBS degree to serve in rural areas for one year.
Punjab Chief Minister said Punjab government was implementing a revolutionary programme for the provision of quality public health facilities and ensuring modern health facilities to patients was the mission of the government. He said ongoing reforms programme for improvement of health sector was yielding positive results. He said that there was a need for collective efforts to provide better treatment facilities to patients.
Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap team informed the meeting that Punjab government had shown tremendous performance with regard to immunisation coverage and its ratio had increased from 56 percent to 82 percent in just two years which is far better even from India where immunization coverage was 70 percent. The Chief Minister commended authorities concerned with regard to better immunization coverage and said that it is matter of satisfaction, however, there was a need to continue efforts for this purpose so that immunization coverage could be further improved.
The meeting also decided to introduce five new vaccines under a phased programme. Shehbaz Sharif directed that a mechanism should be devised for implementation of vaccination programme in a co-ordinated manner and private sector should also be encouraged so that maximum people could benefit from it. He said that quality health services should be available at basic health centers as well as every health facility and non-availability of medical treatment to any patient due to any reason would not be tolerated.
He said that departments and institutions concerned should take decisions at their own and ensure provision of medical facilities to patients. The Chief Minister also directed to set up a committee for evolving a comprehensive strategy with regard to family planning as well as its implementation. Shehbaz Sharif directed that besides sanitation system, other janitorial services should also be outsourced at the earliest and biomedical resource center should be completed till the end of January 2017.
The meeting reviewed various proposals regarding nutrition programme under Primary Healthcare Roadmap. The Chief Minister directed authorities concerned that international companies should be selected for verification of data of health survey. Special representative of British Department for International Development (DFID) Sir Michael Barber briefed the meeting on the steps taken under Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap. He said that pace of reforms programme for improvement of health sector was satisfactory and Punjab government led by Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was moving forward with commitment and determination.