'Government to grant autonomy to medical colleges, hospitals'

Secretary Health Punjab, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan has said that government is in favour of autonomy of medical colleges and teaching hospitals but this autonomy should be service-oriented and their should be a strong system of accountability in this regard. He said that performance audit and hospital's inspection would be started in the health department very soon.
He was addressing a high level meeting of the principals of medical colleges and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals.
The secretary health said that an authority without sense of responsibility and accountability is not fruitful. He stressed that we have to execute our responsibilities and use our authority with a sense of accountability for improving our performance. He directed that all vacant posts of doctors should immediately be displayed not only on the web-sites of the health department, but also of Pakistan Medical Association for the convenience of the candidates.
He further said that an independent system of performance audit/inspection of the public sector hospitals would be introduced. He also said primary and secondary health care system must be strengthened and improved to reduce the workload on teaching hospitals. He urged upon the administration of the hospitals to improve their working by taking efficient administrative decisions and using managerial capabilities to provide best healthcare to the patients.
Jehanzeb assured that government believes in the welfare of all health providers and during the last three years, it has taken various solid steps for providing best facilities to the patients and doctors' community. He said that the government would continue to take measure for the welfare of health providers.
Earlier, principals and medical superintendents briefed the secretary health about the working of their institutions. They also apprised him about the difficulties, and shortage of financial as well as human resources. They said that as compared to the increase in the population, bed strength of hospitals is very low due to which there are lots of difficulties in providing healthcare to the patients. They demanded that teaching faculties be extended. Secretary health assured them that government would take concrete steps to resolve these problems.
Besides Special Secretary Health, Waseem Mukhtar, Addl. Secretary (east) Muhammad Dawood Khan, Addl. Secretary (Development) Usman Muazzam, Addl. Secretary (administration) Khursheed Zaidi, Addl. Secretary (Tech.) Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Sulehria, Director General Health, Dr Muhammad Aslam Ch. DS (Admn) Saleha Saeed, VC (KEMU), Principals of Medical Colleges and superintendents of all teaching hospitals attended the meeting.