Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that no tolerance would be shown to those held responsible for the deaths of infants in Vehari and Sargodha.
He was chairing a meeting on improving the provision of quality health services in the Punjab. The chief minister directed officials to register cases against them. He said action would be taken against them in accordance with law. Sharif also directed officials to put an end to the supply of substandard syringes and syrups and to initiate proceedings against owners of factories producing them. Various steps taken to improve the provision of quality health services were reviewed in the meeting. Committee reports regarding the incidents in Sargodha and Vehari were presented before those present in the meeting. Sharif said the life of every child was precious. He said the provision of quality health services was a primary responsibility of the state.
Sharif said the plans of those conspiring to compromise the lives of children would be deterred. The chief minister said no tolerance would be shown to those compromising the provision of quality health services. He said justice would be meted out to those responsible for the deaths in Vehari and Sargodha. The chief minister directed officials to alleviate the shortage of medicines in emergency wards of hospitals province-wide. Sharif said those responsible for supplying substandard syringes and syrups at a hospital in Hafizabad would be imprisoned. The chief minister directed health services officials to ensure that such events were never repeated again and ensure the provision of all facilities at hospitals. He directed officials to devote special attention to the provision of quality maternal and childcare facilities. Sharif stressed the importance of improving management at health facilities and implementing an effective monitoring system to ensure standards in this regard. The chief minister said a comprehensive plan should be formulated to provide doctors, nurses and paramedical staff with state-of-the-art training. He said attention should be focused on building the capacity of health professionals.
The chief minister stressed the need to take concerted action to immediately improve the provision of quality health services in the Punjab. He said it was binding on health officials, lawmakers and experts in this regard. Sharif said steps should be taken to outsource the drug testing laboratory and a report should be submitted in this regard.
Sharif said health officials to effectively discharge their duties and leave no stone unturned to provide the people with requisite facilities. He said he was personally monitoring steps taken to revamp the health sector in the Punjab. Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Health Secretary Khwaja Imran Nazir, National Assembly Member (MNA) Sajid Mehdi, former law minister Rana Sanaullah and Provincial Assembly Members (MPAs) Malik Mukhar Ahmed, Nadia Aziz and Saqib Khursheed were also present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2014.
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