Provincial Minister for Law, Excise & Taxation and Finance, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has said that government is using all available resources for providing better healthcare facilities to the people especially mother & child in the province and the priority areas of the targets are rural folk. He said that maximum resources will continue to be provided for the provision of modern health facilities to the common man as reforms in health sector and ensuring best healthcare facilities to the citizens is the mission of the government. He said that Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap is of vital importance for providing quality health facilities to the masses and it is need of the hour to make this programme successful and target has been fixed for provision of modern health facilities to the people in basic health centers whereas medical facilities to the patients round the clock in 700 basic health centers would be ensured this year.
While talking to delegations of doctors at his residence, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that government has provided extra Rs. 2 billion for the control of communicable diseases whereas, government has also increased 19.8% budget for ongoing expenditure for health sector. He said that government has reserved Rs.2 billion to achieve the millennium development goals(MDGs).He said that additional grant will be provided for making high-tech Punjab Institute of Nearue Sciences (INS) operational, whereas, Rs.650 million is being spent during current fiscal year and emergency ward of the INS will shortly be made operational. He further told that 50 acres land at burkey road & required funds were being provided for construction of state of the art kidney and liver transplant institute.
Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that 20 percent birth deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendant and this ratio would be increased more than 90 percent by 2015 whereas, contraceptive prevalence rate is 36 percent that would be increased upto 55 percent by 2015(MDGs Target).He told that DFID Michael Barber has said that encouraging results are being witnessed in health sector under the leadership of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and public health facilities are improving in the province and DFID team has also appreciated the steps taken by Punjab government for the coverage of immunization programme of children.
Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that the government considers the dignity of the prestigious medical profession and will redress all the major problems being faced by the medical community including paramedics. He said that focus of the Provincial Government is upon Primary and Protective Health Care so that to achieve the millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He said that by increasing the health budget up to 121.80 billion rupees, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines as well as air-conditioning in general wards to poor and resource-less people. He told that with a cost or Rs.4 billion health insurance card will be issued so that to provide state of the art healthcare facilities even in private health institutions to the poor card holder patients. He said that Rs.60 crore has been reserved for dialysis facilities to the poor kidney patients and Rs. One billion has been provided for mobile health units.
