LAHORE, June 19: The Punjab Health Department has decided to provide additional Rs1.2 billion along with the allocated budget of Rs2 billion to upgrade operation theatres of all teaching hospitals in the next fiscal.

This was stated by health minister Dr Tahir Javed during his visit to the emergency ward of the Mayo Hospital on Thursday.

He said the government would ensure provision of life-saving medicines free of cost to the patients admitted to emergency wards of the public sector hospitals. He said the additional grant of Rs1.2 billion would also be used to upgrade emergencies and other departments.

He said a disciplinary action would be taken against the officers who would fail to complete the target for the development of the existing facilities.

Mayo Hospital medical superintendent Dr Fayyaz Ranjha told the minister that a coupon system would be introduced in the hospital to offer free treatment along with medicines to the poor and needy patients.

He said the coupons would be provided to prayer leaders who would refer the deserving patients to the hospital after due authentication. The step had been taken to eliminate beggary for medicines and safeguard the honour of the poor and the deserving people, he said.

The introduction of the coupon system was finalized at a meeting held at the hospital under the chairpersonship of adviser to the chief minister Dr Faiza Asghar.