Quality treatment top priority, says Yasmin

LAHORE:Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid reviewed arrangements of cleanliness, medicine availability, doctors’ attendance and other administrative issues of Govt Teaching Hospital Shahdara at Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department meeting here on Wednesday.

Special Secretary Silwat Saeed and Additional Secretary Development Dr Asif Tufail apprised the minister of the situation at Govt Teaching Hospital Shahdara. The minister said that absence of officials during duty hours is regrettable. She said action shall be taken against officials showing poor performance.

The minister said, “The attendance of doctors, availability of medicines and provision of necessary facilities shall be strictly monitored in all hospitals. I have obtained data details of attendance and facilities from professors. An official, who gets his pay from taxpayers, must serve only people. In order to facilitate people in public sector hospitals, billions of rupees are being spent. All facilities including the repair of lifts must be ensured at Govt Teaching Hospital Shahdara. Its dialysis units must be made fully functional. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical education Department has been directed to fulfill the human resource requirements of the hospital. The department has been asked to ensure surprise visits of hospitals. There will be zero tolerance on cleanliness, availability of medicines and treatment of patients. Good quality treatment of patients in public sector hospitals is top priority of the government.”

The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Silwat Saeed, Additional Secretary Development Dr Asif Tufail, Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Professor Amir Zaman Khan, Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shirin Khawar, Professor Javed Ch, Mian Zahid-ur-Rehman Bata and associate professors, assistant professors and doctors and staff of Govt Teaching Hospital Shahdara.

PINS appoints 30 guards: Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS) has employed 30 security guards of a private company to further boost foolproof security arrangements at this state-of-the-art treatment centre.

PINS Executive Director Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood said 150 CCTV cameras have also been installed while a control room has been set up to keep them functional, where visitors to the institute will be closely monitored and working of the employees would also be reviewed on a daily basis. Similarly, PINS in order to ensure hygiene in accordance with the principles, the services of 30 personnel have also been procured from a private company who will perform their duties round the clock and timely cleanliness will be ensured in all departments of the institute.

Prof Khalid said that these initiatives are aimed at ensuring hygiene for patients, relatives, medical staff and the institute and providing complete protection to every visitor. He said that the responsibility of cleaning arrangements in PINS has also been handed over to a private company whose 30 personnel will be on duty 24 hours a day. He said that all the resources would be utilised for this purpose and these steps will be helpful in this regard.

Prof Mehmood added that these measures will be monitored by DMS Admin and Administrative doctors so that the movements of the suspects can be closely monitored and they can be brought to book.

He said that these arrangements would also discourage and identify the elements involved in fighting in the institute and would help in monitoring the performance of the staff as well which would help in raising the standard of Punjab Institute of Neurosciences.