After PM’s visit: Health minister claims ‘noticeable’ change in hospitals

Promises that shortage of medicines will be resolved

RAWALPINDI: The federal health minister on Thursday handed over two ambulances to a large, tertiary care hospital in Rawalpindi as he claimed that a noticeable change had been brought in the overall condition of hospitals.

His comments came amid reports that there was a shortage of medicines in the hospitals of Rawalpindi because the suppliers had not been paid.

Federal Health Minister Aamir Kiani, along with the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Naeemul Haq, visited the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in Rawalpindi on Thursday. During the visit, Kiani handed over two ambulances to the hospital’s administration.

The ambulances had been donated by the MOL Group, with its regional president Murtaza Abbas present.

The health minister claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was working to set up an exemplary health system in the country.

At the HFH, which saw Prime Minister Imran Khan conduct a snap visit early in January, Kiani said that a noticeable change could be seen in the overall condition and services at the facility.

In this regard, he pointed out that the hospital’s cleanliness had been improved since the prime minister’s visit while doctors and hospital staff were now more punctual about their duty timings to save patients from any difficulties.

He added that the government will ensure the provision of an uninterrupted supply of medicine at hospitals, adding that they will use all available resources to improve the health sector.

Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Umar said that more than 70 per cent of development work on the hospital has been completed.

He added that 200 beds have been added to the hospital, with 100 each for the women and children’s wards

Later, Kiani and Haq visited different wards in the hospital and inspected the health facilities there. The health minister expressed his satisfaction over the ongoing renovation work.

Medicine shortage

Even as the hospital was provided with ambulances to bring in more patients, the hospitals have yet to clear some Rs220 million in outstanding payments to contractors who supply medicines to the three allied hospitals of the city.

As a result, the supply of medicines to the HFH, the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH) and the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) has been stopped, creating a shortage, though a stock for critical patients in certain sections remains.

Cheques for medicines supplied over the past six months have yet to be released while the cheques which were issued by the hospital administration have yet to be cleared by the district accounts office owing to an alleged paucity of funds.

Attendants are thus compelled to procure medicines from the open market.

Sources said that officials were working on resolving the supply issue soon to address shortages.

BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Tariq Masood Niazi claimed that drugs were being supplied normally since November 5 and orders for fresh stocks had been issued.

He added that some new medicines will be used after they are tested and cleared from drug testing laboratories.

The HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Nasir Mehmood also dismissed reports of a drug shortage, stating that medicines were being supplied as per routine in the hospital.

Dr Mehmood, though, conceded that there were outstanding payments of the contractors which the hospital hoped to clear over the next 10 days.

The administration of all three hospitals said that they had approached the concerned authorities to resolve any issues in the supply chain. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2019.