By Qasim Ali
LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the provincial government is making all-out efforts to ensure that hospitals across the province meet the standards set by the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC).He stated this while presiding over a meeting held at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) Department on Thursday. The meeting reviewed the health initiatives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the performance of teaching hospitals, the shortage of human resources, the parameters of the Punjab Healthcare Commission, and other ongoing projects.The minister said that, in line with the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the government is committed to providing the best healthcare facilities to the people of Punjab. He added that a network of new hospitals is being established across the province to strengthen the healthcare system.He informed that a 915-bedded, state-of-the-art Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research is under construction in Lahore, while work on the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore and the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha is also in progress. Recently, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Centre at Samli Hospital, Murree.Khawaja Salman Rafique said that along with new hospitals, new medical colleges are also being established to meet the growing healthcare needs. He emphasized that hospitals must achieve PHC standards to ensure quality care for patients and directed the Punjab Healthcare Commission to continue inspections across all healthcare facilities.“The best treatment and care of patients is our top priority,” he said, adding that new doctors are being recruited continuously through the Punjab Public Service Commission to address staffing shortages.The meeting was attended by Parliamentary Secretary Rushda Lodhi, Secretary Health Punjab Azmat Mahmood Khan, Special Secretary Development Benish Fatima Sahi, Special Secretary Operations Nabila Irfan, CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr. Saqib Aziz, Additional Secretary Medical Education Dr. Sidrah Saleem, Additional Secretary Admin Khadija-tul-Kubra, Additional Secretary Ameer Muhammad, Additional Secretary Technical Dr. Muhammad Waseem, DG Nursing, Director Budget and Accounts Hammad-ul-Rab, Director PHC Mushtaq Sulehria, and Deputy Secretary Tania.Vice Chancellor University of Health Sciences Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore also attended the meeting via video link.
