A healthy visit: Turkey to assist Punjab’s health reforms

Foreign delegation to provide study and comparison report

LAHORE: Punjab would benefit from the Turkish model of health system for introducing reforms in the sector. This was stated by Chief Minister’s Advisor on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, while exchanging views with an eight-member Turkish delegation’s visit to Punjab on Thursday.

New avenues of cooperation between the Punjab government and the delegation for the development of health sector were discussed. The head of Turkish delegation Dr Selami Kilick provided a briefing to the Punjab health team regarding the Turkish public health service system, mobile health services, home healthcare service for bedridden patients, emergency health services, motorcycle emergency service, immunisation of children and provision of medical as well as diagnostic facilities in the hospitals.



“In Turkey, vaccinators do not go door-to-door for vaccination of children, but it is mandatory for parents to bring their children to the health facility/center for vaccination,” Dr Selami said.

While, Salman informed that the Turkish delegation visited different health facilities and medical colleges in the province during
their stay.

He said that the delegation would submit a study and comparison report of Punjab’s and Tukey’s health systems.

Salman added the recommendations/observations of the foreign delegation would be evaluated technically and financially. Different working groups would be constituted for the purpose.

“The Turkish health model would be studied while evolving strategy and planning for introducing further reforms for the improvement of the health sector in Punjab,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2016.