Health sector key area of attention: CM

Provincial govt to establish 14 spots to provide emergency medical care in case of accidents on highways

QUETTA: The Balohistan government is focused on reforms in the system in order to provide relief to the people on a priority basis and the health sector remains the key area of the government’s attention, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Saturday.

Talking to the media after inaugurating the new out-patient department (OPD) building in the Civil Hospital Quetta, the chief minister said that his government planned to complete the under-construction hospital buildings on time because 2,000 patients visited the OPDs in Quetta every day.

“The health sector remains the key subject of the government. We have declared emergency in health and education sectors and released funds for [procurement of] medicines to increase efficiency of the health department,” the chief minister told journalists.

“We want to revive the health system,” he added. Speaking about the new OPD building, he said it would cater to the needs of a large number of patients, adding that the government had intended to provide a new building for the poor patients with all facilities.

Education key to solving problems, says Kamal

Talking about the provincial cabinet’s decision to establish emergency medical response centres on the national highways, Jam Kamal said that the provincial government was establishing 14 spots to provide emergency medical care in case of accidents on the highways.

“Three or four centres would be established on all arteries which connect the province to Punjab and Sindh. In the bordering areas, ambulance facility would also be available,” the chief minister added.

About implementation of drugs regulations, Kamal said the provincial government during the last four months had been campaigning against unregistered laboratories and clinics and had sealed dozens of them.

“The provincial government is taking measure to provide quality health facilities to the people because we can’t develop the province without proper healthcare,” he said. He assured the medical staff of resolution of their issues. “We will facilitate the health staff.”

Terming the safe return of kidnapped neurosurgeon Dr Ibrahim Khalil a good sign, the chief minister said the government had acted responsibly in the case. “We wanted to address things professionally so that no harm could come to Dr Khalil,” he said.

“Being in the provincial government, we have to look after the security of the whole province because we can’t deploy security guards for every individual. We have to work on our system because the people would feel secure only in a functional system.”

He said that medicine was a noble profession and the doctors should understand the sensitivity of their profession. “The doctors’ community should point out weaknesses in the system and we will address and rectify them,” he said. “We provide all facilities to the doctors, so they should fulfil their responsibilities with honesty and professionalism,” Kamal said.

He said the project of setting up trauma centres in various districts was under way, while construction of cancer and cardiac hospitals was being included in the provincial Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for implementation.