Measures underway to provide better healthcare facilities to public: Salman

Health Minister pays surprise visit to Dr. Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital

By Dr Ansab Ali Lahore Pakistan

LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that measures are being taken to provide better healthcare facilities to the public in accordance with the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The minister made these remarks during a surprise visit to Dr. Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital, Sargodha, where he inspected various wards, the Outpatient Department (OPD), registration counter, laboratory and radiology department.

Khawaja Salman Rafique expressed displeasure over overcrowding at the laboratory and directed the hospital administration to increase the number of staff and establish additional testing counters to reduce patients’ waiting time.

The minister also interacted with patients and their attendants and inquired about the availability of medical facilities and medicines. He directed the administration to ensure the provision of quality healthcare services to patients at government hospitals.

Later, a high-level meeting was held at the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology under the chairmanship of Khawaja Salman Rafique. Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood also attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the hospital’s medical facilities, completed and ongoing development projects, staff recruitment and overall performance.

According to a briefing by the hospital administration, more than 61,000 patients have so far been examined in the OPD, while thousands of patients have received treatment in the emergency department.

The briefing said that 826 patients had been admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit, while 51,233 laboratory tests had been conducted. The hospital has also completed 919 Cath Lab procedures and 2,091 echocardiography tests.

In addition, 275 exercise tolerance tests, 120 Holter tests, 603 X-rays, 223 ultrasound and Doppler scans, and 194 CT scans have been performed at the institute. Six cardiac bypass surgeries have also been successfully carried out.

The health minister received a detailed briefing on the hospital’s development projects and available medical facilities. He directed the administration to ensure quality medical care for patients and pay special attention to administrative matters, staff availability and the timely completion of ongoing projects.

Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood said that providing the best possible medical facilities to patients was the government’s top priority, adding that negligence in patient treatment would not be tolerated.