Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has accorded approval to the establishment plan of Gastrointestinal Teaching Units and Hepatitis Clinics in autonomous medical institutions of the province. The CM presided over a three hours long meeting which evaluated implementation of ongoing projects for better health facilities here on Sunday.
Provincial Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Advisor Dr Umar Saif, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretaries of Health, Finance, Health Experts and other officials attended the meeting. Commissioner Faisalabad Division and Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad Division participated in the meeting via video link.
The inquiry report of chickenpox occurrence at Faisalabad was also presented to him. Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said chickenpox is a chronic disease and unawareness of the concerned authorities regarding its spread is tragic for the concerned institutions ought to have taken remedial measures as soon as the disease was reported.
The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to submit a report after determination of persons responsible of this negligence and suggest an effective strategy to control such viral ailments.
Referring to the health facilities being provided to people, Shahbaz Sharif said Punjab government has taken result oriented steps for the improvement of health sector by allocating the biggest budget in the history of the province. 40 tehsil and district headquarter hospitals of Punjab are furnished with latest medical facilities while reforms will be brought in 85 more hospitals in the second phase. Hepatitis Control Program needs to be moved forward effectively and alongside treatment, precautionary measures are additionally critical to control it.
He directed the health dept to present a thorough preventive and a public awareness campaign plan in connection with this disease. The central hepatitis filter clinic in Lahore is providing medical treatment to the patients and such filter clinics would be set up in other districts as well. Paramedical staff is the spine of medical care so training program should be planned for them and their course needs to be revised for which the Punjab government can get benefit from the expertise of Turkey, he added.
The CM said that improvement of training institutes and refreshing courses according to latest trends is the need of hour.; good performance will be encouraged and poor performance will be held accountable,. He said for this purpose, committees should be established at division and district levels to address the complaints. Rescue 1122 should also be incorporated in this program and every needful step should be taken to bring betterment in healthcare system he emphasised.