President stresses importance of quality healthcare, education

Urges private sector to promote telemedecine service

RAWALPINDI: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday highlighted the importance of provision of quality healthcare services and adequate educational facilities and observed that these two sectors were the most significant needs for taking the country on the path of progress and prosperity.

He also called upon the private sector to come forward and play its role in the provision of healthcare facilities as throughout the world the private sector had assumed greater proportions in the healthcare sector.



The president was addressing the second roadshow titled "Investing in human capital through health initiatives."

The roadshow a brainchild of the Punjab Health Foundation to highlight its ambitious project of extending interest free loans in the health sector which also help in creation of 100,000 jobs.

The public sector cannot cope in the health sector alone stressing upon strengthening the role of the private sector.

The president urged to create comprehensive public awareness about the Punjab government's initiative through provision of interest free loans to the people associated with the medical profession.

He noted that telemedecine service (the use of modern telecommunications technology for remote diagnosis and treatment of patients), was also playing key role in the health sector and stressed upon the private sector to adopt these practices.

Appreciating the Punjab government's roadshow initiative, he called upon the medical practitioners to fully avail this opportunity as it would also add to indirect jobs creation.

He also expressed his satisfaction that return rate of the loans extended so far stood around at 97 per cent which was highly encouraging. Extricating people from extreme poverty and unemployment, was a great need and focus

on health and education sectors, must be made also.

He cited the Chinese initiative of taking people out from abject poverty which they had managed with a sizeable population. He commended the health insurance cards project which would provide relief to the poor segments of the society.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2019.