LAHORE, Nov 27: The government has decided to grant autonomy to teaching hospitals in phases, Punjab Minister for Health Prof Dr Mahmood Ahmad Chaudhry said on Tuesday.

Rules and regulations for the autonomous health institutions would be finalized and implemented within a couple of weeks, the minister said while speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ of the Lahore Press Club.

Different aspects of autonomy like governance, system of private practice, financial, surgical and medical audits will also be granted in phases.

About the rules, he said that each autonomous medical college and attached teaching hospital would have a seven-member board of governors. Five reputed members from the community, two official members — provincial health and finance secretaries — would form the board which would be independent to elect its chairman.

He said that surgeons would be encouraged to do procedural private practice in the autonomous hospitals. “Those who want to do so at private hospitals will be asked to resign from the government service.”

Answering a question, he said the autonomous hospitals would be encouraged to generate resources for expansion. “Reformation of institutions without expansion in their budgets is useless,” he said.

The department was also working to establish a culture of dedication in the health institutions so that the existing manpower, equipment and infrastructure could be utilized at the optimum.

The minister admitted that doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians’ salaries must be increased besides at least doubling the existing budgets of big hospitals in the province.

Answering another question, he said at present the tehsil headquarters hospitals, rural health centres and basic health units were in bad shape as they neither had proper accommodation for the staff nor the gadgets and medicines to offer treatment to the locals.

At present, the health department was working on a project to upgrade the THQ hospitals to cater to the needs of the locals. He said renowned architects had also been invited to develop refined treatment centres in the hospitals.

Prof Chaudhry said that around 65 per cent health delivery services were being provided by the private sector, most of whom were general practitioners. He said that quackery could not be eliminated particularly in rural areas till the provision of proper health delivery system.

He rejected the claim that private hospitals and clinics were sharing the major burden of health delivery system. He said the public sector hospitals had around 50,000 beds, while the private hospitals and clinics had only 4,000 beds across the province.

About the opening of private medical colleges, he said the Punjab University of Health Sciences, currently in the phase of establishment, would examine and regulate private medical colleges. Only those colleges would survive which would have required faculty, infrastructure, equipment and attached teaching hospital, he said.

He said the PUHS would also help to upgrade the standards of medical education and strict surgical and medical audits.

Answering a question, he said the health department had devolved the powers and the recruitment of doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians would be made by respective districts.

He claimed that the health department was also successfully running the preventive programmes being funded by the global agencies.

According to him, the World Bank had recently given $5 million to control tuberculosis in the province.

The minister later announced a grant of Rs50,000 for the Press Club. He also promised that full cooperation would be extended for provision of medicines and upgradation of dispensary at the club.