PHOTO: NNI
All provincial ministers, MPAs, the chief secretary, secretaries, RPOs, DCOs and DPOs would ‘adopt’ a rural health centre or a basic health unit in their areas and monitor its performance. This was decided at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday.
“A plan in this regard should be presented at the next meeting,” Sharif told the meeting through video link.
Sharif ordered that the process of outsourcing drug-testing laboratories be accelerated. “Medical equipment at all hospitals should be operational round the clock. No negligence will be tolerated in this regard,” he said.
He said a conference should be arranged for the appointment of medical officers at rural health centres and basic health units. Doctors from private hospitals should also be invited to the conference so that the government may have their input on the matter, he said.
Sharif favoured introducing a system under which companies supplying equipment to hospitals should be responsible for its maintenance. He said the government was spending billions of rupees on health services across the province.
The chief minister said commitment and hard work were essential for the effective implementation of the Health Sector Reforms Programme. He ordered a crackdown on those dealing in spurious medicines. “Factories producing spurious medicines should be sealed. Action in this regard should be taken without any discrimination,” he said.
The chief minister said health reforms had yielded positive results. He said the government had set targets to improve service delivery.
The meeting reviewed implementation of the Health Sector Reforms Programme. Earlier, Health Secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik briefed the meeting. Provincial Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq, the chief secretary and the information secretary attended the meeting.
Gunny bag distribution in Lahore from 29th
District Coordination Officer Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman said on Monday that four procurement centres had been established the district for the procurement of 42,000 tonnes in the current season.
He said the centres were located in Kahna, Burki, Rakh Chhabeel and Raiwind areas. He said officials from the Revenue and Food Departments were directed to attend to all needs of the farmers bringing their wheat to the centres for sale.
The DCO said distribution of gunny bags would begin at these centres from April 29.
He said Additional District Collector Revenue (ADCR) Irfan Nawaz Memon had been put in charge of the procurement drive in the city. He said assistant commissioners were directed to ensure transparency in distribution of gunny bags.
He said strict action would be taken against any official found involved in corrupt practices.
Later, the DCO visited Rakh Chhabeel procurement centre and inspected arrangements for distribution of gunny bags. He also addressed farmers present at the centre.
40 arrested in crackdown on sheesha cafes
The district administration has arrested 40 people including owners of three sheesha cafes in three days in an ongoing crackdown against smoking of sheeshas in the city’s public spaces.
Of the 40 people, 18 were arrested in a raid at café on MM Alam Road, 14 from a café in Samanabad and eight from a café on Sanda Road. FIRs were registered against them at the police stations concerned. The raiding teams seized eight hookahs during the raids.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2015.
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