LAHORE, Oct 29: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi presided over a meeting here on Sunday which reviewed implementation of the health sector reforms programme, says a handout.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said basic changes were being been made in the primary healthcare system under the programme. Steps were being taken for immediate replacement of obsolete and unserviceable medical equipment in all tehsil, district and teaching hospitals.

Ordering appointments on all the vacant posts in basic health units, tehsil and district headquarters hospitals, the chief minister said the monitoring system for implementation of reforms would be made effective.

He said specialist doctors and medical officers in THQ and DHQ hospitals would be paid special allowance, and more doctors and nurses would be posted in tehsil hospitals.

He said separate master plans would be prepared for upgradation of every THQ and DHQ hospital to ensure availability of all necessary medical facilities. New hospitals would be established at the tehsils where these did not exist. He said results of the steps being taken for improvement of health services were encouraging.

Punjab health secretary Mohammad Javed Malik, chief secretary Salman Siddique, planning and development chairman Salman Ghani, finance secretary Azmat Ranjha and programme director Najam Saeed were also present on the occasion.