LAHORE: Expressing concern over reports of medicine shortages despite substantial budget allocations, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif noted that an amount of Rs80 billion was being spent on medicines and any lapse in delivery to patients is “unacceptable.”
The directed the preparation of a revised medicines list for government hospitals and called for a foolproof mechanism to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential drugs.
Chairing a meeting on health projects, the Chief Minister directed the formation of a dedicated committee to finalise the updated medicines list.
The meeting also reviewed proposals to modernise public hospitals, including the potential use of Chinese-manufactured medical equipment to upgrade healthcare facilities across the province.
Taking serious notice of public complaints regarding hospitals’ security staff, the CM Maryam approved, in-principle, the installation of body cameras for security guards, ward boys, nurses and pharmacy staff. She also directed hospitals’ administration to ensure comprehensive daily steam cleaning of facilities by 9:00 a.m.
The CM further ordered a ban on the use of mobile phones by doctors and nurses during duty hours, stressing that patient care must remain the foremost priority.
To strengthen hospital management, the meeting approved the creation of a Medical Superintendent (MS) pool, with salary increments linked directly to performance. Community health inspectors were also assigned the responsibility of conducting hospital surveys to monitor service delivery.
Additionally, the CM directed the establishment of a data analysis centre to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of public welfare initiatives in the health sector.
In the briefing, it was highlighted that over 2,500 doctors have been recruited over the past two years. It was also reported that 585,000 patients across the province have been registered for home delivery of cardiac medicines, with doorstep delivery completed for 6,000 patients suffering from hepatitis and tuberculosis. The CM emphasised that the government will no longer tolerate wastage of public funds or citizens’ time, warning that inefficiency and negligence in public hospitals will not be accepted.
Moreover, provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting regarding the provision of medicines in the five largest teaching hospitals of Lahore. Khawaja Salman Rafique said on the occasion that according to the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, efforts are being made for continuous improvement of the health system.
He said, “The supply of medicines is being ensured in teaching hospitals across the province. For the first time in history dues of Rs22 billion for the last 5 years have also been paid for the convenience of patients.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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