Punjab govt accords priority to medical facilities: CS

By Our Staff Reporter Lahore: Punjab Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal has directed the officials to ensure best possible medical facilities in all public sector hospitals of the province, or else those found guilty of negligence would be taken to task. Presiding over a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat to review provision of health facilities in hospitals, he said that since provision of medical facilities for people of rural areas as well as the cities is the top priority of the Punjab government and all possible measures are being taken to provide best possible healthcare facilities to the people at their doorsteps. In this regard, the chief secretary pointed out that attractive salary package and other benefits are being given to the doctors serving in remote and far-flung areas of the province merely to ensure that they discharge their duties with missionary zeal and devotion. Cautioning that no negligence and slackness would be tolerated in provision of medical facilities to people, Mr Gondal instructed the principals and medical superintendents to ensure availability of medicines and cleanliness in their respective health care facilities. At the outset, the CS lauded the Punjab Institute of Cardiology’s (PIC) medical superintendent for better management and asked the Services Hospital’s MS to improve performance. The meeting which also discussed administrative and financial problems being faced by hospitals was attended, among others, by Punjab’s Additional Chief Secretary Shumail Khwaja, Health Secretary Najam Shah, principals and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals of Lahore and other senior officers.