LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday launched the ‘Field Hospital’ programme aimed at providing essential healthcare services to the rural population.

A total of 32 field hospitals — 21 mobile healthcare units and 11 small field hospitals (mobile diagnostic units) — are being deployed in rural areas of Punjab to increase healthcare coverage.

Speaking at the launch of the programme here, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said recognising the disproportionately higher rates of adverse health outcomes in rural communities, this programme had been designed to serve as a targeted intervention strategy. She said the containers which were used for destructive activities in the past would be converted to field hospitals. They would be deployed in all 36 districts of Punjab.

She said the project was launched in a span of six weeks.

“This programme uses a Pay-for-Performance Model, which incentivises healthcare providers to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care by linking financial rewards to specific performance metrics and outcomes.”

“This initiative is being launched as a sister programme of the Clinic on Wheels Programme.”

She said the field hospitals would provide essential healthcare coverage to areas with limited healthcare resources. As many as 1.5 million patients in rural areas are expected to benefit from the services received through 32 field hospitals per year. They will reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for marginalised communities.

She said she worked with Nawaz on the health card project. There were no complaints about the card then, but now there are heaps of complaints.

BAHAWALPUR: After inaugurating the field hospital programme in Lahore, the chief minister opened the project at village 5/BC near Abbasnagar, about 15km from Bahawalpur.

She was accompanied by Senator Pervaiz Rashid, senior minister Maryam Aurengzeb, information minister Azma Bokhari, health minister Salman Rafique, special assistant Zeeshan Malik and chief secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman.

According to a handout, a field hospital will be equipped with an ultrasound room, a pharmacy and a laboratory which were inspected by chief minister and also witnessed their proper functioning.

Later, on the appeal of elderly Javeria Bibi, the chief minster took her to the field hospital where she (CM) carried out her X-ray, ECG and ultrasound.

Later, the chief minister inaugurated Ahmedpur to Jhangra East 26km-long carpeted road.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2024