Liaison to be improved between hospitals

Govt decides to maintain a waiting list for those incurring cost of treatment on their own

LAHORE: Immediate steps will be taken to improve treatment facilities for cardiac patients and to reduce burden on cardiology institutions in the province. Liaison between cardiology institutions and teaching hospitals will be enhanced for the purpose.

This was stated by Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq on Saturday.

He was presiding over a meeting of heads of cardiology institutions and medical superintendents of various teaching hospitals.

Rafiq said the chief minister had sought immediate steps for the purpose. He urged the meeting participants to suggest within a week short-term solutions for enhancing coordination.

Other issues discussed at the meeting were availability of medicines at pharmacies of public hospitals and the need for a uniform policy and rate list for procurement of disposable items and preparation of a registry of patients.

Health Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah said that a waiting list would be maintained for patients meeting the cost of their treatment on their own. This would allow the institutes to give priority to treatment of patients in serious condition regardless of their payment status.

He said that close coordination should be ensured between the cardiology institute and the Gulab Devi Hospital.

Shah said the department was devising a strategy to ensure optimum utilisation of available healthcare resources.

Special Health Secretary Sajid Chohan, chief executive of cardiology institutes in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals attended the meeting.

Separately, a meeting presided over by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Khawaja Imran Nazir was held on Saturday to discuss various aspects of the Punjab Public Health Agency to be set up in the province.

The meeting decided that advertisements would be published in major newspapers at the earliest seeking applications for consultants and a project director for the planning and management unit.

The meeting discussed proposals about establishment of management, monitoring, health promotion, coordination, information, communication and technology and procurement units under the PPHA.

Health Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah said there was a need for all stakeholders to work on the project on a fast track. He said progress should be monitored on daily basis.

Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq, Special Health Secretary Sajid Chohan, Primary and Secretary Health Additional Secretary Adnan Zafar and Planning and Development Board Member (Health) Shabana Haider were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2016.