In order to control diseases and to introduce strong early disease warning system, a Directorate of Disease Surveillance would be established in Punjab. Reorganization of Institute of Public Health would also be carried out.
It was decided in a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Health Reforms which was chaired by the Minister Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Kh. Salman Rafique, here on Wednesday. Besides, Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Kh. Imran Nazir, Provincial Minister Population Welfare Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shumail Ahmad Khawaja, Secretary P&S Health Ali Jan Khan, Special Secretary Dr. Sajid Mehmood Chohan, Member P&D, Dr. Shabana Haider, Vice Chancellor UHS Prof. Junaid Sarfraz Khan, Pro-Vice Chancellor KEMU Prof. Qazi Saeed, Prof. Faisal Masood, Secretary Population Welfare, Chief Executive Officer Punjab Health Initiate Management Company Dr. Saira Siddque, Chief Executive Officer PPHA Dr. Shabnam, Health Consultant Dr. Naeem-ud-Din Mian, Turkish Experts of Family Medicine and other officers of both the health departments attended the meeting. Turkish experts gave presentation on the family medicine system in Turkey. They briefed about the benefits of this system. Cabinet Committee principally agreed to introduce family medicine system in Punjab. For this purpose, the Minister Health Kh. Salman Rafique directed to set up a technical working group to discuss and assess the proposal from all aspects. Kh. Salman Rafique said that family medicine system would be piloted in one district and later, it would be extended to other districts. The meeting gave approval for introducing performance based pay package for the vaccinators posted in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts. Secretary Primary Health Ali Jan Khan informed that 500 additional posts of vaccinators have been created. He said that performance based salary package would be given to the vaccinators for which third party evaluation also be conducted. He said that the objective of this initiative is to improve the routine immunization coverage from 62 percent to 85 percent. The cabinet committee also decided to restructuring of Institute of Public Health through which steps would be taken for the promotion of educational and research activities.