Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin presented the two years performance of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department at a Press Conference at 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam here on Wednesday. The Minister was flanked by Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Captain (Retd) Usman Younis and Special Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Silwat Saeed. The Minister said it was very important to present the two years performance of the health department. The Minister said the Corona Pandemic has brought the economies of developed countries to its knees. She said the United States, Mexico, Brazil Western Europe and India are still struggling to face the Corona Pandemic. Over one million people have lost their lives to the Pandemic worldwide. In the last 24 hours, 86 people were confirmed COVID-19 positive in Punjab and by the grace of Almighty Allah, no lives lost in Punjab. The Minister said, “In the last 24 hours, more than 12,500 tests were performed in Punjab. The testing capacity has been increased manifold since the Pandemic began. The government has enhanced focus on the implementation of SOPs as we have opened the educational institutions. If teachers or students test positive, contact tracing is immediately started. In areas with high number of cases, smart lockdown is enforced. By the blessings of the Almighty, the entire world is appreciating the performance of Pakistan. The World Health Organization has specifically praised Pakistan for its efforts in controlling the Corona Pandemic. In the last 8 months, steps were taken on war footings. By the start of the Pandemic, we had capacity of 300 to 400 tests in Punjab. As per guidelines by the WHO, 18 new BSL-3 Labs were developed in the province out of whom 9 were developed in Lahore alone. During the Pandemic, arrangements for 20,000 patients were made. The number of ventilators was enhanced. As compared to other provinces, the mortality rate in Punjab has remained very low. When Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Government took over, 50 per cent seats were lying vacant in Punjab. For the first time in history 32,000 healthcare professionals were recruited through transparent process. On every level, merit was observed and their details issued online.” Dr. Yasmin Rashid further said, “When we started, around 50,000 beds were available in Public Sector Hospitals. Now we have increased the capacity of hospitals to a great extent. The two departments were operating with a liabilities of Rs. 32 billion. We have developed the department on directions and vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. We are working to achieve the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals. In different districts of Punjab, seven Mother and Child hospitals are being developed. The largest of these hospitals is 600 bedded Mother and Child Hospital at Ganga Ram which will be fully functional by the end of 2021. In the Public Sector, no hospital of this class has been built. In the past, no such hospital was ever made having Gynacology, Uro Gynacology and Natal medicines facilities. In this hospital, neonatal nursery facility will be available. Mother and Child Hospitals with 200 beds are being developed in Mianwali, Sialkot, Rajanpur, Attock Layyah and Bahawalnagar. In the past nursing capacity and performance was never a priority. In the five Mother and Child Hospitals, Nursing Colleges are being built. In Sialkot and Lahore, Nursing Colleges are already being set up. In Multan, Nishter 2, a large 500 bedded hospital is being developed which will be complete by 2022.”
Elaborating further, Dr. Yasmin Rashid said, “The Ganga Ram Mother and Child Hospital will cost around Rs. 7 billion. A lot of funds have been released to improve mother and child health. In Gujrat, state-of-the-art Mother and Child Hospital is also in the pipeline. In Dera Ghazi Khan, a new cardiology hospital is being developed. So far we have Cardiology institutions in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. The Sehat Insaf Cards have been distributed in all 36 districts of Punjab. So far we have distributed cards to 5.2 million families. Over 2 lakh people have availed the facility. The facilitate the holders of the Sehat Insaf Cards, 273 private hospitals have been empanelled. For Cardholders, 20,000 beds have been added so that deserving people can avail the facility of free treatment. Patients have utilized the cards to get treatment of cardiac, dialysis and other diseases. Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to provide universal health coverage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to which we have also been directed to scope of Sehat Insaf Cards. In the next phase, the middle class will be included in the Program and work is underway already on that.” The Minister divulged that the Prime Minister has emphasized Mother and Child Health in his first speech. She said, “In eight districts, the BHUs have been upgraded to 24/7 models. More BHUS have been set up after which the BHUs have increased to 1280. In the next ADP, all 2500 BHUs will be made 24/7. We are trying that all citizens must get health facilities on their doorstep. Pregnant women are transferred to public sector hospitals through free ambulance service in case of emergency. The Health Department is providing free services to hundreds of thousands of patients through vertical programs. In the budget, Rs. 11 billion have been reserved for vertical programs. The Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, that has been under construction since 2012, will be made functional in the next 45 days. The Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology has been made fully functional. The scope of this institution is being enhanced. The department has developed a system for hospital waste. In 26 districts, incinerators have been set up. The district hospitals are working in coordination with Teaching Hospitals. In the Specialized Healthcare department, the hospital waste will be disposed off through microwave technology and its PC-1 is being developed.”
Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Captain (Retd) Usman Younis said that the Rs. 6.26 billion have been allocated for the Expanded Program on Immunization. He said this program had problem of access of vaccinators in certain areas due to which we have hired more vaccinators in Punjab, During the lockdown, this program continued to operate. Under this program, more than one lakh health professionals were trained. Over 614 EPI Centers have been rehabilitated. Under the IRMNCH Program, 1280 THQ have been made 24/7. So far 175000 pregnant women have been shifted to hospitals through emergency ambulance services. For children facing malnutrition, 58 stabilization centers have been set up. From 1st October, the pilot project of Well Women clinic is being started in Lahore and Nankana where screening services for women will be provided. He said that the project will be scaled up to entire Punjab. From 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2020, screening of 2 million people was undertaken. Under the Hepatitis Control Program, between 2018-19 as many as 8429 and 5742 people were provided free treatment respectively. From 2019 to 2020, five lakh people were vaccinated for Hep B. In the next 5 years, Rs. 58 billion have been allocated for flagship projects for the next 5 years. The Punjab AIDS Control Program also performed during the Corona Pandemic under which over 600 people were registered. The Punjab TB Control Program is also continuing the screening or TB patients across the province.
Dr. Yasmin Rashid also said that Teaching Hospitals faced a big problem of regular faculty which has been overcome by the strategic intervention. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department deserves appreciation for expediting the promotion process by holding fortnightly meetings of Promotion Committee for Professors, Assistant Professor and Doctors. Special Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Silwat Saeed said that so far more than 470 teaching faculty has been recruited and over 5000 nurses out of whom 500 male nurses were recruited. In the last 2 years, requisition for 851 has been sent to Punjab Public Service Commission. So far 856 doctors have been promoted to the next grade. Later, in the Question & Answer session, the Health Minister said that all nurses will be given admission and faculty shortage is being addressed. The service delivery in Sehat Insaf Cards Program is being continuously reviewed and improved. The Pakistan Medical Commission Act has passed in Assembly and whenever new reforms are introduced, there is always resistance. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr. Faisal Sultan has held a detailed a press conference on this issue. In the past, the PKLI project was non-functional. During the Corona Pandemic, the PKLI gave top quality services. This hospital is now fully functional. Mayo Hospital is currently reserved for Corona patients. Dr. Yasmin Rashid also said that she had a detailed discussion with SAPM, Dr. Faisal Sultan, on the issue of increase of medicine prices and he will call a session in Punjab very soon. After 2003, the prices of certain medicines were not increased and the last government appeared in court after which they increased prices through the cabinet. There has been increased in the prices of life-saving drugs. In the emergencies of all government hospitals, emergency medicines are free of cost for patients. During the Corona Pandemic, home delivery of medicines was made possible for patients getting treatment at the PIC. She said when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came for treatment, his treatment was started immediately after which his health improved. If his health had not improved, he would not have been able to travel abroad. So far no report of platelets of Nawaz Sharif has been received. Nawaz Sharif expressed full satisfaction on his treatment and we offered him services for cardiac treatment but he preferred his own physician. Prime Minister Imran Khan was updated regularly about the situation of Nawaz Sharif who had promised to come back after his treatment from abroad and he reneged from his promise later. She said, “I personally contacted Dr. Adnan, the personal physician of Nawaz Sharif, and asked for sharing of reports but they were not sent to us. It was his duty to share these reports. As per information, the treatment was to be started on 26th February but insisted that treatment will be started only after his daughter arrived. As other children were already there, he should have started treatment. As he is the leader of a political party, he should come back to continue politics. More importantly, a board of 10 doctors was constituted. All reports were true and I fully trust my doctors. I am sure, Nawaz Sharif health is much better and if he is okay, he must come back.” She added that Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if Nawaz Sharif did not come back he would be called back and British Government would be contacted. Nawaz Sharif was disqualified during his own government. The NAB was set up by his own government. Shahbaz Sharif bail was rejected by Court but the Government is blamed for that. Chief Minister Punjab appeared in court on Court orders. NAB caught Nawaz Sharif on Panama leaks which happened during their own government.