Fundamental steps taken to improve health sector in Punjab: minister

LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said the Punjab government is taking fundamental steps to improve the health sector and top priority of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is to improve the health sector.

While addressing the second surgical conference at Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College Bahria Town as the chief guest, Salman said, “Efforts are being made to ensure safe treatment and care of patients in hospitals. Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme and Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme are the flagship programmes of the Punjab government.”

He said the Asia’s largest Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research is being built in Lahore. A state-of-the-art Nawaz Sharif Institutes of Cardiology are being built in Lahore and Sargodha. The shortage of doctors and nurses in hospitals is being met on priority basis, he assured.

Dean Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute Professor Faisal Saud Dar, Principal Professor Nadeem Hafeez Butt, Professor Farooq Saeed Khan, Professor Fariha Farooq, Dr Sabir Ayaz Malik, Professor Muhammad Saleem and Dr Umair Farooq were present.

Moreover, Khawaja Salman Rafique, while speaking at a ceremony held in connection with “International Firefighters Day” said “Our rescuers are rendering invaluable services to protect the lives and property of the people. We pay tribute to the invaluable sacrifices of the rescuers who sacrificed their lives while protecting the lives and property of the people. Punjab rescuers are making Pakistan proud all over the world.”

He said, “Air Ambulance Service was the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Emergency services are being successfully carried out on the motorway.” He also appreciates the services of Dr Rizwan Naseer. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif recently approved the purchase of 300 new ambulances.

It may be added that the Fire Rescue Service has saved the public from losses worth Rs716 billion in 260,830 fire incidents. 100% implementation of Punjab Community Safety Buildings Regulations 2022 is essential.

Secretary Emergency Services Department Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer, while addressing the participants of the ceremony, said that rescuers save the lives of others by putting their own lives in danger. Fire hydrants, alarm systems, exits and stairs must be installed in high-rise buildings.

Firefighters are our heroes who go into burning buildings and save lives. Pakistan is the first team in South Asia to be certified by the United Nations Insrag. The removal of encroachments from markets and roads has improved the rescue response, he added.

The Punjab Emergency Service has provided rescue services to more than 17.1 million people. The Punjab Emergency Service has responded to 4.4 million road traffic accidents so far. Dr Rizwan Naseer said that the Water Rescue Service rescued 18,612 drowning emergencies and more than 328,000 flood victims.

Meanwhile, in a meeting, health minister conducted a detailed review of the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme was taken. CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq also gave a briefing in this regard.

Khawaja Salman Rafique, while expressing his views, said that the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program is the flagship programme of the Punjab government. More than 3690 innocent children have been performed heart surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme so far.

Children’s heart surgeries are being performed in 6 government and 11 private hospitals in Punjab. Under this unique health programme, free heart surgeries worth billions of rupees have been performed on children so far. Further improvements are being made in the three historic programmes of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme and Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme. One hundred percent transparency is being ensured in the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025