LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to set up ‘Chief Minister Health Vigilance Squad’ in the province, besides banning the use of mobile phones by nurses and paramedics.

Presiding over a meeting here on Monday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also directed implementation of ‘Red & Blue Code Emergency System’ in the hospitals across the province. She ordered that doctors at the public hospitals should be trained in the use of the code system.

“The CM Health Vigilance Squad will visit the hospitals and review implementation of the directives of Ms Nawaz,” the meeting was told.

The chief minister also directed provision of ventilators for children and adults in every teaching and district headquarters hospital.

She reviewed the plan to deploy trained doctors in the districts in a phased manner, besides setting up catheterisation laboratories in the hospitals.

Nurses, paramedics barred from using mobile phones

She underscored the presence of consultants and heart surgeons in the district headquarters hospitals until the completion of ‘Cath Lab’ project.

Heart consultants and surgeons should visit the DHQ hospitals twice a week to provide services to the patients, she said, adding that appointment of consultants and surgeons in the DHQ hospitals should be ensured. She also sought a list of specialists required in the DHQ hospitals across Punjab.

She directed regular audits of outsourced services of cleaning and parking facilities in the teaching and district hospitals.

The CM said that protocols for administering injections should be displayed for student nurses in the hospitals, adding that trained and experienced nurses should be assigned duties in the emergency and paediatric wards.

She ordered that pager devices should be introduced for communication among the hospital staff, instead of using mobile phones for the purpose.

The meeting decided to ban the usage of mobile phones by nurses and paramedical staff on duty in the hospitals.

She directed the secretary of primary and secondary healthcare to conduct interviews for the appointment of CEOs and medical superintendents in each district of the province.

She directed the secretary to ensure the presence and functioning of the CT scan and MRI machines in all major hospitals in the districts, along with activation of CCTV cameras in the government hospitals.

She ordered establishment of trauma centres near the emergency wards, adding that availability of life-saving drugs for the patients should be ensured. The meeting also decided to implement life-saving protocols in every hospital as per international standards.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025