Audit Initiated To Ensure Transparent Use Of Tax Funds In Healthcare: Minister Salman

Provincial Minister for Health and Emergency Services Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the government initiated an audit to ensure fair and transparent utilization of taxpayers' money in the healthcare sector

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Feb, 2025) Provincial Minister for Health and Emergency Services Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the government initiated an audit to ensure fair and transparent utilization of taxpayers' money in the healthcare sector.

Addressing a meeting of local traders and industrialists at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) here on Thursday, he said that the government has increased healthcare budget in addition to maintaining strict accountability in its expenditure.

He said appointment of medical superintendents, vice-chancellors and other key officials is being ensured purely on merit basis whereas syndicate committees of health institutions are being formed under public-private partnership model to improve institutional efficiency.

He said that President FCCI Rehan Naseem Bharara and Dr Khurram Tariq were also included in the Syndicate Committee of Faisalabad Medical University (FMU) as representatives from the business community to ensue collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The minister elaborated on various initiatives initiated to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and said Punjab currently has 44 nursing training colleges which are undergoing renovation whereas the government with the support of Asian Development Bank would establish three new nursing institutes in Faisalabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. New medical colleges are also being set up in Narowal, Bahawalnagar and Okara, he added.

He said that the incumbent government is also taking solid steps to overcome the shortage of nurses in hospital and in this connection, 3,000 nurses were recruited last year while further recruitment is underway.

He said that Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology would start surgery services during June in addition to providing this facility at Rahim Yar Khan Cardiac Institute soon.

He said that the government is also working to making medical universities autonomous by compiling comprehensive data on machinery and building facilities. He said that duration of BDS degree program has been extended to five years for improving medical education.

He said that complete health coverage is provided across the motorways by deploying 76 ambulances. He said three helicopters have been allocated for air ambulance services which significantly reduced the patient shifting times from remote areas to Lahore.

He said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had issued special directives to enhance facilities of pediatric cardiac surgery. In this connection, number of pediatric heart surgeons has been increased from eight to twelve while efforts are still ongoing to recruit more specialists to cater not only to Punjab but also to other provinces.

Provincial Secretary for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood said that the government is committed to improve healthcare services despite financial constraints.

He said that free liver and kidney transplant facilities are in progress with the initial phase set to benefit 100 to 125 patients by June 30. This program will also cover post-medical care expenses and private hospitals would also be included in it after approval from the Punjab Health Commission (PHC), he added.

He said that under the dialysis program, the government has also increased the annual dialysis expenditure amount from Rs.700,000 to Rs.1 million.

He said that recruitment of 1100 medical staff and four cardiac surgeons has been completed since August and efforts are underway to address shortage of specialists at Dera Ghazi Khan (DG Khan) Cardiac Center where the patients were currently facing difficulties due to a lack of resources.

President FCCI Rehan Naseem Bharara presented address of welcome and expressed concerns over the outdated healthcare infrastructure in the city. He pointed out that hospitals of Faisalabad cater to the patients from several districts which lead to excessive strain on the facilities.

He highlighted the critical condition of Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC) and said that inadequate resources and a shortage of cardiac specialists force the patients to seek treatment in Lahore and this process often causes to fatal delays.

He also pointed out high cost of private medical education and said that it prevented many aspiring students from pursuing healthcare careers.

He demanded an increase in healthcare budget for Faisalabad in proportion to its population and said that this metropolis serve around 50 million people including 10 million residents of the city itself.

He also demanded up-gradation of Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC), Children Hospital and other medical facilities in addition to deployment of local specialists to reduce dependency on Lahore.

He proposed establishment of a specialized medical training center in Faisalabad and said that it would help alleviate burden on healthcare institutions in Lahore.

He also stressed the need for a central database and regulatory system to ensure transparency and efficiency in healthcare management.

During a Q&A session, business leaders including Rana Sikandar Azam, Waheed Khaliq Ramay, Muhammad Ali, Shahid Nazir, Tanveer Ahmad and Abdul Ghaffar advocated for the construction of a 50-bed cancer hospital in Faisalabad.

Later, Chamber President Rehan Naseem Bharara presented FCCI shield to the Provincial Health Minister who also penned his remarks in the FCCI Visitors Book in addition to participating in a group photo session with members of the business and industrial community.