RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab government would welcome international institutions’ cooperation for improving the healthcare system and evolving it according to the present requirements.

Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique told a delegation of Abraaj Group headed by Chairman Health Fund Impact Committee Sir David Nicholson here on Saturday that the Punjab government was introducing reforms in health sector for ensuring quality healthcare services to the people for which cooperation of developed countries and international institutions was being sought.

He said the government was focusing on improving the performance of the hospitals through outsourcing the management of some hospitals, janitorial services, security system and other such matters.

Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja, Chairman P&D Jehanzeb Khan, Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Najam Ahmed Shah, Secretary Primary & Secondary Health Ali Jan Khan, Chief Operating Officer Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Ajmal Khan, Special Secretary Health Sajid Mahmood Chauhan, Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University Prof Dr Qazi Saeed, Health Consultant Dr Naeem ud Din Mian, Member Health P&D Dr Shabana Haider, CEO I DAP Mujahid Sherdil, Deputy Secretary Dr Yadullah, Dr Mushtaq Sulehria and other concerned officers present at the meeting.

Punjab Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir said the revamping of 40 DHQ and THQ hospitals was being carried out and government was encouraging public and private partnership for improving diagnostic services, installation of CT Scan machines in all the DHQ hospitals.

The meeting deliberated on the different scope of cooperation between Punjab Health Department and Abraaj Group. Options of cooperation in infrastructure development of the hospitals, training and capacity-building of human resource, improving diagnostic and pathological labs and cooperation in brown field management were came under discussion.