Punjab's Health Ministers, Khawaja Salman Rafique And Khawaja Imran Nazir Highlight Reforms In Universal Health Insurance System

Punjab's health ministers, Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir, emphasised the government's commitment to addressing loopholes in the universal health insurance programme at the 7th vice chancellors, principals and MS conference

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jul, 2024) Punjab's health ministers, Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir, emphasised the government's commitment to addressing loopholes in the universal health insurance programme at the 7th vice chancellors, principals and MS conference.

The conference, held at a local hotel on Saturday, focused on evaluating the performance of government teaching hospitals and discussing future initiatives.

Khawaja Salman highlighted the government's efforts under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to enhance healthcare facilities in Punjab. He announced plans for new specialised institutes, including the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha and the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Care in Lahore. He stressed the importance of leadership qualities in the heads of teaching hospitals and the drive towards automation and zero tolerance for corruption. He also mentioned the initiative to start private practices in government hospitals and the promotion of telemedicine.

Khawaja Imran, provincial minister for Primary and secondary healthcare, praised the efforts of hospital principals and medical superintendents (MS) in improving conditions for doctors and nurses.

He announced the establishment of labs for heart patients in all district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals and reforms in 43 prison hospitals across Punjab. He emphasised the priority of providing modern treatment and medical equipment in these facilities, along with strict monitoring to prevent corruption and ensure proper drug management.

The conference also featured a detailed review of the performance of government teaching hospitals by Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan and other senior officials. The discussion included improving conditions in nursing colleges and addressing the shortage of healthcare staff and equipment in hospitals.

Prominent medical professionals and administrators from various institutions, including Fatima Jinnah Medical University, King Edward Medical University, and Nishtar Medical University, attended the conference. The event concluded with a tribute to retiring professors, Professor Noreen Akmal and Professor Waheed Abdul Hameed.