Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the present Punjab Government has allocated funds of Rs 308 billion in the next financial year for the development and strengthening of the health sector which is 8.4 percent increase over the previous budget.
She was talking to the media here on Monday after presiding over the syndicate meeting of Faisalabad Medical University. Giving details she said that nine new hospitals would be established in the different cities of the province besides upgradation and strengthening the existent govt hospitals. She claimed that 2500 beds would be added through development in the govt hospitals during the next financial year.
She said that PTI govt had focused its attention on the development of social sector, particularly health and education sectors would be given priority for providing ample facilities of the medical treatment and education to the masses. She maintained that the funds of Rs 2 billion had been allocated in the present budget for issuance of the health cards and total number of 7.2 million health cards would be issued in the 36 districts of Punjab during next financial year and more than 30 million people would get benefits of medical treatments free of cost.
She informed that Paediatric and Child Health University would be established at the provincial headquarter first time in the history for providing best and state of the art medical treatment to the children for decreasing the mortality rate of newly born child. She said that 2000 consultant doctors are being recruited and very soon those would be posted in health institutions at rural areas for providing advanced medical treatment facilities to the public of the remote areas.
The Minister cleared that HIV aids patients were being provided best medical facilities and medical examination centres would be established in every district of the Punjab under Aids Control programme. The Minister informed that new board of Punjab Health Care Commission had been constituted and the relevant law would strictly be enforced for the eradication of quackery to overcome the epidemic disease. She appealed the media to raise awareness among the parents to get their children vaccinated against the disease of polio.
Later, Dr Yasmin Rashid unveiling the plaque of laying foundation stone of construction of Shelter Home at Allied Hospital. The three storey shelter home is being constructed with the financial support of a local industrialist Muhammad Arshid. A ward for the long stay patients would also be added in this building besides providing the facility of night stay for the relatives of patients of the other cities.The Minister said that the welfare projects of shelter home was conceived by Prime Minister Imran Khan for providing refuge to the shelter less and deserving peoples. She appreciated the financial support of the philanthropists for the human services and said that Faisalabad always played leading role in philanthropy.
Earlier, Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid presided over a meeting of Faisalabad Medical University Syndicate. The matter relating to the administrative and medical affairs of the University and Hospitals came under discussion during the meeting and financial approval of the different projects was given with the consultations. The Minister asked the members of syndicate to supervise and monitored the affairs of hospitals and monthly report of the visits be sent with their proposals for better medical service delivery. She stressed upon maintaining good governance in the hospitals and said that special attention be given for quality cleanliness.