LAHORE: Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq has said the Punjab government is upgrading nursing schools of the province to colleges and revising their curriculum.

Addressing the 6th convocation of the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) at a local hotel on Monday, he said the decision of upgrading the nursing schools was a part of government’s mega scheme in which entire healthcare system in the province was being reviewed.

University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor retired Maj-Gen Dr Muhammad Aslam, PGMI Principal Prof Anjum Habib Vohra, Board of Management chairman retired Ziauddin Butt, senior faculty members and retired and in-service principals of various medical colleges were also present.

Mr Rafiq said that upgrading of the entire healthcare system in the province was the need of the hour, adding that in the first phase reforms were introduced at BHUs, THQ and DHQ hospitals through the Chief Minister Health Roadmap.

He said a special pay package had been offered to specialist doctors for posting at THQ and DHQ hospitals.

Each specialist doctor would get up to Rs150,000 additional allowance during their posting in these hospitals.

About the PGMI, he said the institute was providing opportunities to doctors doing research in different fields of medical sciences and fulfilling the requirement of specialist doctors in the country.

He said that meetings were in progress with senior officials of the C&W for establishing an institute of neuro sciences at the Lahore General Hospital.

Earlier addressing the convocation, Prof Vohra said the PGMI was holding diploma and degree courses in different subjects of medical sciences which included 34 degree and 12 diploma courses.

He said the PGMI was producing specialist doctors for Sindh, KP, Balochistan, Islamabad, Fata, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said that students of different countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Arab regions were also getting benefit from the teaching and research facilities of the institute.

Dr Muhammad Aslam said the medical ethics in developed countries were changing and a paradigm shift was in process. Much of the focus was being given on the rights of patients, he said.

He emphasized the importance and role of new degree holders, nurses and paramedics in the patients care.

Degrees and gold medals were also awarded to postgraduate doctors.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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