RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: In the wake of surge in measles cases, the Punjab government is going to launch a measles mop-up campaign in the selected union councils (UCs) of five districts of the province of Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Gujranwala and Rajanpur.

Keeping in view the situation in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an alert has already been issued all over the province of Punjab. The UCs of the five districts have been identified in an analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) keeping in view measles coverage and disease surveillance indicators.

Director General Health and Coordinator of Emergency Operations Dr. Munir Ahmad said that children between 6 to 59 months of age who previously had not vaccinated against measles will be inoculated during this special drive.

Moreover, while addressing the meeting of Syndicate of Nishter Medical University, Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique said that a number of mega projects have been completed in the Southern Punjab and reforms have been introduced in health sector from which people are benefiting.

He said that the government has introduced health reforms not only in teaching hospitals but the DHQ and THQ hospitals have also equipped with modern gadgets and latest equipment besides revamping of the health facilities.

He said that provision of best quality medicines in the hospitals, up-gradation of the health facilities, cold chain management in the warehouses, setting up regional blood centres and a number of other initiatives for the promotion of medical education and production of skilled and highly qualified human resource for health sector are the few examples of health sector reforms agenda of the government.

He said that the teaching faculty of the medical institutions, doctors, nurses and administrative staff of the hospitals and paramedics are the main stakeholders and the backbone of the healthcare delivery system.