CHIEF MINISTER REVAMPING THE HEALTHCARE IN THE PUNJAB

The Chief Minister of the Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is bent on putting the province on a health boom; after a rather successful educational explosion back in his last term. No doubt these services will leave a lasting legacy of his impact as one of the greatest executives in the history of the Punjab. But greater tasks lay ahead now. Nevertheless, Khadim e Aala; a title well-earned.

First things first. Shehbaz Sharif foresees that the best way to improve the public healthcare in the province is by revamping the whole structure of the health department. The budget for the public healthcare in the Punjab has also seen a massive increase. For the fiscal year 2017-18, the healthcare budget in the province stands at a staggering 120 billion rupees, an increase of 60 percent as compared to the last fiscal year.

As for the revamping vision of the CM, the health department has been divided into two separate department with their own ministers, to ensure greater public supervision of the institutions. Khawaja Imran Nazir is the Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare. The department has a preventive strategy to guarantee the protection of people from diseases. This in turn, will help create a healthy society in the province. For this purpose, the Chief Minister has taken a personal interest as exhibited by his recent visit to the DHQ Raiwind Hospital.

It is not the first time that the CM has taken personal interest in a matter of public healthcare. Healthcare in his last term was marred by the break out of the dengue epidemic. The CM was perplexed. He sought a solution to the grave problem. Dengue was not easy to deal with, as demonstrated by Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, the CM opted to gain maximum from the Sri Lankan experience. Immediately, he brought experts from the island nation. Moreover, the Khadim e Aala appointed some of the best personnel to cater the issue. For this purpose, Dr. Tajammal Mustafa played an indispensable role.

Of the massive healthcare budget, the refurbishing of over a hundred district and tehsil headquarter hospitals will take place at a cost of 36 billion rupees. In the same manner, hepatitis clinics will be set up in all of these hospitals. The CM has also promised the provision of quality medicines in these hospitals. Moreover, the CM avows to deliver and install the CT scan machines at all district headquarter hospitals. The services will also include hepatitis birth dose and ROTA virus vaccine for children.

The CM has declared to take up the standards of the healthcare in the Punjab. He is determined to replicate the welfare and modern healthcare systems of Europe. The CM knows that for the provision of modern healthcare; awareness, understanding and diagnosis of the problem is highly desired.  For this purpose, the state-of-the-art drug laboratories have been established in mega-cities like Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur.

For the first time, the government has also taken up the problem of HIV and AIDS with sobriety. For this purpose, the Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir recently opened a free treatment and diagnostic center at Chiniot recently. It provided the ease of access to the patients. Previously, they had to travel to the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. With Chiniot, 15 such centres are now operating under the ambit of the Punjab AIDS Control Programme. Government is doing every bit to contain the disease as well as to treat some 80,000 patients of HIV in the province.

The Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Minister, Khawaja Salman Rafique has promised new horizons and opportunities to the allied health professionals. Rafique, who as the health advisor to the CM, had a slightly wobbly interaction with the young health professionals, is now looking to make amends. He has also assured that more opportunities will emerge once the health sector expands.

The popularity of the Khadim e Aala is beyond doubt. He is the envy of his counterparts. On the national scale, he has a reputation of an administrator with great zeal, vigor and dynamism. In a not so surprise move by his standards, Shehbaz Sharif paid a visit to the tehsil headquarter hospital in Raiwind. The visit, without any protocol, once again highlights his love for the public. It also boosts the confidence of the people in their representatives. There, he inquired the health of patients in different wards. The CM also directed to provide CT scan machines. He also gave instructions to make dental and ENT clinics functional to provide relief to the careworn patients and their relatives, as soon as possible.


Shafiq, M Osama. "Shehbaz Sharif or Awami Falahi Mansobay." Nai Baat (Lahore, Pakistan), December 21, 2017. Accessed December 21, 2017. http://naibaat.com.pk/ePaper/lahore/21-12-2017/details.aspx?id=p13_08.jpg