Daily Times

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) offered its cooperation for setting up five mother and child hospitals in different districts of Punjab on Tuesday.

USAID would also join hands with Punjab Health Department for strengthening health services in public sector.

In this regard, a delegation led by USAID Health Director Sangita Patel called on the provincial health minister and discussed various ongoing joint projects in the health sector.

“The Punjab government strongly believes in taking solid initiatives for saving lives of mothers and children and their health as well,” said the minister. She told the delegation that for the first time in the history of the Pakistan five hospitals exclusively for mother and child would be set up in five different districts besides a state of the art mother and child centre at Sir Gangaram Hospital would also be established.

“Provision of health facilities at gross roots level was also ensured,” Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said.

“Targets of health sector would be achieved at district level and a special monitoring cell has been established to monitor development schemes at districts,” she informed the USAID delegation.

The minister also said that emergencies of hospitals were being improved and strict mechanism of attendance of health staff adopted by the Health Department. Sangita Patel while acknowledging initiatives for improvement of public health sector said that Punjab was playing leading role for strengthening of health services.

“USAID would enhance its cooperation for achieving certain goals. Mother and child hospitals would definitely reduce mortality rate during deliveries. We are ready to provide all possible technical and financial support for establishment of mother and child hospitals,” she offered.

Published in Daily Times, December 12^th 2018.