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 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).
While talking to a delegation of family physicians, LHWs and Women at his residence, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that skilled birth attendants, LHVs and LHWs are being appointed at health centers because the MMR in LHWs covered area is 147/100,000 live births, compared 300 to 350/100,000 to uncovered areas, therefore, the LHWs, LHVs. He said that at present under five mortality rate present is 94/1000 and it will be reduced 45 till 2015(MDGs Target), new born mortality rate is 54/1000 and it would be reduced upto 25 by year 2015, whereas, infant mortality rate is 77/1000 which would be reduced 40 uptill 2015. He told that maternal mortality ratio 350-500/100000 which would be reduced 140 uptill 2015. He told 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).
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. The Minister said that Punjab government is focusing on the provision of education and healthcare facilities to the common people and has taken revolutionary steps through re-engineering of resources so that modern educational as well as latest medical facilities could be provided to the people at their door steps.
