Daily Times

Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid has directed that newly inducted medical officers should also be trained as anesthetist as there is a dire need of anesthetists in public sector hospitals.

She issued the directives while addressing CEOs District Health Authorities through a video link here on Monday. Secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare Muhammad Khan Ranjha was also present during the CEOs Conference.

Dr Yasmin Rashid said that Provincial Health Department was taking every necessary step to cater the shortage of anesthesia experts and teaching institutions have been directed to increase seats for anesthetist cadre. She also expressed her displeasure on continue trend of unnecessary referral of patients to major hospitals without solid reasons.

“No Patient should be referred without written statement of specialist because traveling of such patient to far flung area could be dangerous for his or her life” said the minister. “Lack of health facilities does not mean that we could not achieve certain targets” she said.

The health minister also directed that after appointment of Medical Officers recruited through Punjab Public Service Commission, doctors working on ad-hoc basis might be adjusted on vacant posts. Meanwhile a delegation of UNICEF led by Chief Field Office Dr. Zeba Bukhari called on Punjab Health Minister and discussed with her breast feeding and Nutrition Programme. “Punjab Government committed to focus on mother and child health and during the “Nutrition Week” celebrated last month more than 80 thousand children were provided with food supplements for consecutive 40 days” she said.

Published in Daily Times, November 13^th 2018.