LAHORE: The Punjab government steering committee on health reforms has agreed in principle to regularise service of more than 300 people employed with the Integrated Reproductive Mother-Newborn Child Health Programme (IRMNCH) on a contract basis.

A summary in this regard would be sent to the chief minister for approval, said Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khwaja Salman Rafiq while presiding over a meeting of the committee here on Wednesday.

Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah informed the meeting that the department was going to make an agreement with the private sector teaching hospitals to overcome the shortage of beds in government hospitals.

He said teaching hospitals attached with the private medical colleges would be paid grant-in-aid for providing treatment facilities to the poor patients. The health department was in contact with various private teaching hospitals where the beds were in excess compared to patients’ turnover.

Move to ‘resolve’ beds shortage issue in public hospitals

Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khwaja observed that the arrangement would not only enhance the quantity of beds in sufficient number but would also improve the standard of medical education in private institutions.

During a review of the arrangements for controlling Congo Virus in summer season, a representative of livestock department informed that a vaccination campaign for cattle head would be launched in Rawalpindi district from March 1.

The minister directed that a working group comprising experts from health, livestock and other relevant institutions should immediately be set up to take effective measures to control Congo virus, especially on the occasion of Eidul Azha.

Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Ali Jan Khan briefed the meeting about the arrangements for dengue control and procurement of chemicals for dengue spray. Mr Rafiq directed that effective measures should be taken for dengue control and the procurement process for insecticides should be completed at the earliest.

LABS: Sixteen laboratories were found operating without requisite facilities and qualified pathologists in raids by a team of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) in two localities on Wednesday.

Six such laboratories and centres in Shalimar and 10 in Daroghawala were stopped from carrying out various diagnostic tests and their owners were directed to appear before the PHC on March 2.

Legal proceedings were also initiated against Zeenat Lab and Collection Centre, City Lab and Research Centre, Ghani Medical Lab and X-Ray Centre, New Finical X-Ray and Pathological Laboratory, Hasan Medical and Diagnostic Centre and Al-Noor Laboratory (Shalimar), Mian Diagnostic Centre, Finical Digital X-Ray ECG, Ultrasound and Pathological Laboratory, Tariq Clinical Laboratory, Medix Laboratory and X-Ray, ECG, Pathological Lab, Medix Diagnostic Lab, Shalimar Lab and Collection Centre, Medicare Laboratories, Al-Madina Lab and Rana X-Ray Lab (Daroghawala).

These laboratories and diagnostic centres were operating without any authorisation and had the worst clinical conditions when raids were conducted by PHC Additional Director Dr Masood Aftab Bokhari, Deputy Director Mufti Abdus Salam and other officials.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2017