Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed has said the provincial government is spending Rs 1,260 million under the Women Health Project (WHP) for provision of necessary health facilities to mothers and children in various districts of the province.
He expressed these views while presiding over a high-level meeting of Punjab women health projects here on Wednesday. Punjab Health Secretary Shahid Rashid, Project Director Dr Sabiha Khursheed and Dr Shehzad also attended the meeting.
Under women health project, the minister said the provision of necessary medicines and other facilities are being provided to the women, adding the provincial government has also decided to utilise all available resources for the better health facilities to the womenfolk living in remote areas.
The strict monitoring system will be evolved on this project to achieve desired goals, the minister said.
The meeting was informed that under the WHP, 510 health houses for midwives are being established in the districts of Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rajanpur.
As many as 2,200 midwives would be trained and post-graduate training would also be provided to doctors, nurses and para-medical staff. Besides, 375 health services providers would be trained in various districts, the meeting was apprised.
The minister was told that anti-TB drugs worth Rs 16 million have been purchased, and being distributed in the districts of Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and Bhakkar, while drugs for remaining districts would be provided on demand.
An amount of Rs 93 million has been made available for the purchase of anti-TB medicines, which would be provided to the needy patients through trained staff of the government hospitals and rural health centres, he added.
Dr Tahir Ali Javed directed the health authorities to launch a comprehensive campaign through print and electronic-media to create awareness among common people living in far-flung areas of these districts, adding the billboards and signboards must be pasted at appropriate places, including railway stations, bus stands, government hospitals, rural health centres and the places where the facilities are available for women health.