LAHORE: A delegation of experts from JICA Mission in Pakistan, headed by Zakuhiro ABE, met Punjab Secretary of Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department Saqib Zafar on Friday. Masato Utsunomiya MSc and Kota Yoshifuji from the Mission, whereas Additional Secretary (Technical) Dr Shahid Suleman, and Managing Medical Division Technology Links Tayyab Ashraf participated in the meeting.

Mr Kazuhiro briefed Mr Zafar regarding data collection surveys of the mission on health facilities and equipment in Pakistan by JICA in two phases to grasp the current situation and challenges of health system and its surrounding environment in the public sector, particularly focusing on maternal and child health.

Mr Kazuhiro apprised the meeting regarding the purpose of the survey to collect necessary information to access assistance needs for formulation of new ODA projects focusing on improvement of health facility and medical equipment, strengthening of referral system in existing tertiary and secondary hospitals. He further informed that JICA had completed its survey in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh successfully whereas it had organised its first survey in 10 leading hospitals of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

JICA is focusing on organizational structural and roles of the DoH and DHOs, current situation of health in the province as well as Faisalabad division, including the Future Investment Plan for Allied Hospital. Mr Zafar lauded the efforts of the Punjab government to support and facilitate Pakistan, particularly, Punjab province to improve the medical facilities and roadmap for reforms in the medical sector.

He assured the delegation full cooperation to complete its second phase of survey in Faisalabad division and said that JICA mission could achieve the best possible results from its data collection survey if it included primary and secondary healthcare department also in the consultation process.

DAM FUNDS: The employees of the Postgraduate Medical Institute, the Ameeruddin Medical College and the Lahore General Hospital have deposited Rs4,000,000 in the Chief Justice Dams Fund created for construction of new dams to cater to water and electricity needs of the country.

It was informed by Principal of Post-Graduate Medical Institute Prof Muhammad Tayyab and Dr Mahmood Salahul Din, medical superintendent of the Lahore General Hospital, on Friday.

Prof Tayyab said the staff of the Lahore General Hospital and its attached medical institutes had voluntarily contributed the amount by scarifying their one day salary in order to accomplish the national cause of construction of new dams which was a glaring evidence of their love and attachment with the country. He also appealed to the graduates of the Post Graduate Medical Institute and the Ameeruddin Medical College and students of Allied Health Sciences School and Nursing College to enthusiastically participate in the drive to collect money for Chief Justice Dams Fund so as to get rid of water and electricity scarcity in the country.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018