Minister Emphasised Need For Safe Treatment

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has emphasised need to ensure safe treatment of patients

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2021 ) :Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has emphasised need to ensure safe treatment of patients.

Addressing a seminar organised at Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) in connection with the 'World Patient Safety Day 2021' on Friday, she said the day gives us an opportunity to renew pledge for safe treatment of patients. The minister said "As doctors we must ensure no patient faces harm in healthcare facilities." By taking some extra measures, a lot of lives could still be saved, she said.

The theme of World Patient Safety Day was 'Safe Maternal and Newborn Care' and all stakeholders were urged to 'Act now for safe and respectful child birth'.

Maternal and child health and patient safety were the top priority of the government as these were the main themes of the Punjab Health Sector Strategy 2019 � 2028, she added.

The minister mentioned that the government was building seven new maternal and child health hospitals in Lahore, Mianwali, Attock, Rajanpur, Layyah, Multan and Bahawalnagar, adding that Lahore's 650-bedded quaternary facility at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital would be functional by June 2022. She said this would also provide cater to cancer patients.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also lays special emphasis on patient safety, she said and added that in order to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), health department was taking many measures. "We have already achieved 90 percent routine immunisation coverage target this year" she said.

Around 1400 Basic Health Units (BHUs) were now operating on 24/7 model to ensure safe deliveries, she asserted.

Dr Yasmin said following the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar's government would provide health insurance cards to all the population of Punjab by the end of this year.

Responding to queries, the minister said that Ganga Ram Hospital had been already providing treatment services for breast cancer. She said Oncology departments were made fully functional in all the hospitals of Punjab.

To another query, she responded that Actemra injection shortage was a global issue.

WHO Head of Punjab Office Dr. Jamshed Ahmed congratulated the organisers for holding an awareness seminar on patient safety and said "l appreciate Dr. Yasmin Rashid for her special focus on improving the maternal and child health in Punjab."FJMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aamir Zaman Khan thanked the minister and underscored the importance of the World Patient Safety day. He said that FJMU was leading patients safety efforts in the country and was making all out efforts to improve the situation. He said that Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, an FJMU affiliated care hospital, was part of the WHO's Patients Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative and a provincial level Patients Safety Committee was also established to improve patients safety and quality standard in all hospitals.