Govt formulating evidence-based health policies

Minister says nine new hospitals, are being established

FAISALABAD: The government is formulating evidence-based policies for the provision of modern health facilities across Punjab, said Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid

She was talking to the media after inaugurating a shelter home established in collaboration with local philanthropist and Alhamra Welfare Trust Chairman Muhammad Arshad Achhi.

The minister said the Punjab government was establishing nine new hospitals with at least 200 beds across the province, besides improving existing medical facilities and upgrading basic and rural health centres as well as THQ/DHQ hospitals.

The minister said that in the shelter home, a floor would be reserved for patients of remote areas needing physiotherapy. She said the Punjab government had allocated Rs45 billion for the health sector in the budget 2019-20. She said that a paediatric and child health university would be set up adjacent to the Children Complex in Lahore.

Dr Rashid said that the distribution of health cards was ongoing in different districts of the province. Jhang and Faisalabad’s citizens would also receive the cards in the next phase. She added that an amount of Rs2 billion had been earmarked for health cards against the amount of Rs28 million for the whole year.

As many as 7.2 million health cards will be issued across the province and about 30 to 40 million people will benefit from this facility, the minister added.

Replying to a question, the minister said that first case of AIDS was reported in Gujrat in 2008 and the total number of registered patients in Punjab was 12,330. She said they were being provided necessary treatment. “During the last nine months, a total of 350 AIDS patients were reported and 330 of them tested positive.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2019.