Punjab government to organise 'Health festivals' at district levels

The Punjab government has decided to organise health festivals at district levels in a bid to promote health education and motivate the people to take benefit from government's offer of free treatment and other facilities. Sources in the Health Department told Business Recorder that the provincial government has asked the health authorities to motivate public about adopting healthy lifestyle so that the goal of healthy society can be achieved.
"The public would be motivated to adopt precautionary measures to avoid diseases so that the health budget could be curtailed," the sources said. Secretary Health Punjab Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan here on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review performance of DHQ/THQ hospitals and Rural Health Centres and BHUs of Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts.
Addressing the meeting, Jehanzeb Khan said that under the law, doctors of government hospitals are allowed private practice only at their residence and not in private hospitals and clinics. He said a strict monitoring system will soon be evolved under which every Medical Superintendent of government hospital would furnish a certificate that doctors and staff of his hospital are not engaged in private practice.
EDO (Health) Gujranwala briefed the meeting regarding the performance of the hospitals of his district. He informed that an ICU is being established at DHQ hospital at a cost of Rs 53.455 million and so far Rs 22.341 million have been spent on this project.
Further, five Basic Health Units have also been established in Gujranwala at a cost of Rs 29.615 million. He further informed that construction of Community Midwife Hostel is underway and a number of Rs 8.394 million is being spent on it. Secretary Health directed that construction of CMW hostel should be completed by October this year. EDO Health also told that ultrasound machines have been provided in 64 BHUs for the provision of better diagnostic facilities to the patients, especially to pregnant women.
Secretary Health said that compared to health facilities and resources allocated by the government, the turnout of patients is very low. He directed that service delivery system of hospital should further be improved. He said that focus of the government is on patients' satisfaction and to rebuild the confidence of public in government health facilities.
EDO Health Hafizabad informed that BHU Kolotarer is being upgraded as RHC and a sum of Rs 4.786 million will be spent for the purpose. The scheme of construction of Trauma centre in Hafizabad is also being revised for its extended and an amount of Rs 49.789 million would be spent.
Moreover, Basic Health Unit Kassoke has been upgraded as Rural Health Centre at a cost of Rs 7.060 million. Secretary Health took notice of low average of registration of pregnant women by LHWs and low delivery rate in government hospitals. He directed that officers and Medical Superintendents must find out the reason as to why pregnant women prefer private hospital and clinics for delivery. Jehanzeb Khan directed the Medical Superintendents to take a round of their hospital and exchange views with the patients and their attendants and ask about the facilities being offered to them. He directed the DG Health to organise health festivals at district level for promoting health education and motivating the people to benefit from government's free offer of treatment and other facilities.