Public health: Steps approved to overcome staff shortage

Government to start two-year course of anesthesia

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting on Sunday to review matters regarding improvement of the healthcare system and reorganisation of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

The meeting accorded approval for up-grade of hospitals, an improvement plan for medical facilities and measures to overcome shortage of anesthetists in public hospitals.

The meeting also decided to start a two-year course of anesthesia for medical officers of public hospitals.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharif said his mission was to ensure provision of quality and modern healthcare facilities. He said revolutionary steps would be taken for improvement of public health facilities. He said important services available at public hospitals would be outsourced under a programme. He said experiences of health authorities concerned in Sri Lanka, Turkey and Malaysia could prove useful in improving health facilities in the Punjab.

He directed the authorities concerned to also draw lessons from model hospitals set up by philanthropists in the private sector.

The chief minister also gave approval to a proposal that public hospitals be allowed to consult cardiologists and anesthetists from private sector for surgeries. He sought immediate steps to expedite computerisation of medicines procurement and distribution at public hospitals.

He said the third party audit policy should be strictly implemented in all big projects.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace of work for reorganisation of drug testing laboratories and the Chief Drug Control Office. He said drug testing labs in Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi would start operations next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2016.