ISLAMABAD: The minister for national health services on Saturday directed dispensaries in Rawalpindi to stay open round-the-clock.

The direction came during NHS Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani’s visit to various dispensaries in Rawalpindi to have a look at the services provided to patients. He was accompanied by Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid.

There are five dispensaries in Rawalpindi run by Polyclinic. These dispensaries were established almost 50 years ago when the capital was moved from Karachi to Islamabad to provide medical facilities to government employees living in Rawalpindi.

Mr Kiani said major reforms are being introduced in the health sector by the government, adding that previous governments gave the sector little attention.

“We are working on a war footing to provide the best facilities to the masses with a focus on the poor. Health cards would be provided to around 50pc of the population of Pakistan during the next 15 months. After that people would be able to get the medical treatment from private hospitals as well,” he said.

Mr Kiani also went to Polyclinic, where he visited various wards and asked patients if they were receiving proper treatment.

He directed that all patients suffering from bedsores, which can develop if a patient spends weeks or months in bed, be referred to the plastic surgery department.

Health facilities

Speaking during a surprise visit to the Gujar Khan Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said the provision of health facilities to the public was the PTI government’s prime focus.

She said the Punjab government was taking initiatives including increasing the salaries of medical officers, recruiting 14,000 medical officers as well as paramedics and extending health facilities at hospitals in rural areas.

During her visit, the local MPAs pointed out that the posts of orthopaedic surgeon, gynaecologist and medical officers are vacant and need to be filled.

They told the minister that the Mandra and Daultala rural health centres are also facing a shortage of medical officers.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019