Punjab Assembly: ‘A third of basic health facilities not operational’

Parliamentary Health Secretary says govt taking steps to fix the situation

LAHORE: As many as 30 to 35 per cent of the basic health units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs) in the province were not operational, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Khawaja Imran Nazir told the provincial Assembly on Monday.

He said the government was taking steps to make these facilities operational. He said no new BHUs would be established until all existing facilities were made operational. He was speaking during the question hour.

The parliamentary secretary said that the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) had relaxed the upper age limit on doctors to be appointed at BHUs and RHCs in far-off areas. This would help overcome the shortage of doctors at such facilities in the far-off areas of the province. Retired or overage doctors could now be appointed to these facilities in view of the reluctance of some of the younger doctors to take up appointments in remote areas, he said.

Nazir said the Health Department would ensure provision of 18 essential medicines at all BHUs and RHCs.

On a question about out-of-order equipment at hospitals, he said there was an acute shortage of biomechanical engineers in the country. “The government is now establishing a biomechanics workshop equipped with facilities to repair out-of-order machinery. The workshop will also arrange training for engineers and technicians,” he added.

“A delegation of Young Doctors Association (YDA) and senior doctors called on CM on Sunday and said they had agreed to support the government in making these BHUs, RHCs functional by going to far-off areas and serve there. We are doing all we can to make them functional,” he said.

Nazir said an Institute of Neurosciences was under construction at Lahore General Hospital. He said the institute would be equipped with facilities to admit 500 patients at a time. The project would be completed at a cost of Rs 2.35 billion.

He assured the House that the government would approach the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) seeking action over radio and television advertisements about quacks.

Later, Speaker Rana Muhamamd Iqbal referred a supplementary question about DCOs’ surprise visits to hospitals to the Health Committee. He asked the committee to present its report on the matter within two months.

On Monday, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah was absent from the House. The attendance remained low but the session continued for most of the day as nobody pointed out the lack of quorum. As the House was about to start discussion on Pension Fund Annual Report, PTI MPA Shunila Ruth pointed out lack of quorum.

The session was later adjourned till Tuesday (today) morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2016.