ISLAMABAD, Apr 17 (APP): The federal government has taken a lead in transforming country’s healthcare and support through its its trailblazing initiatives from focusing on affordability and accessibility to establishing specialized medical and counseling facilities to cope with the increasing demand.
The measures taken by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government including the establishment of an autism center in the federal capital, launch of mental health helpline and life-saving CPR training programme, and allowing the prisoners to get medical education speak to a larger commitment to creating a more equitable and modern healthcare system.
In a bid to encourage the philanthropists’ contribution to the health sector, the prime minister recently inaugurated a 600-bed Indus hospital in Lahore and urged the philanthropists to come forward and donate generously for alleviation of the sufferings of the poor and deserving people in the field of health and education.
He also inaugurated six-storey and 350-bed Saleem Memorial Trust Hospital in Lahore and expressed the hope that facility would serve the ailing humanity with world class treatment facilities.
The prime minister, who during his tenure as Punjab chief minister set up and upgraded various hospitals in the province, referred to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a 250-bed state-of-the-art hospital in Muzaffargarh, which was set up during 2010 floods by the Turkish government.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, addressing the hospital’s inauguration ceremony said while being Punjab CM, he had activated Punjab Endowment Fund with deposit of 20 billion rupees and supported a large number of orphan children with its fund which was unfortunately closed by the previous government. However, he assured that his government would restore all such pro-people schemes including endowment fund and CM self-employment scheme.
The PML-N government had also set up PKLI hospital costing Rs20 billion which was politicised by the previous government causing an immense damage. Hepatitis filter centers across Punjab province were set up under its patronage and patients from all over the country came for treatment.
To ensure the affordability and accessibility of the medicines for the inflation-stricken people, the government reduced the prices of 20 medicines up to 30 percent in order to give relief to the masses. The ratio of price reduction of most medicines remained at 30% and the price of 54 other medicines was also fixed.
The prime minister recently launched the “HUMRAAZ “mental health application and integrated helpline 1166 for citizens’ mental health and well-being. The citizens can consult with psychologists and doctors by calling free on 1166 if they are suffering from depression, tension, or mental stress .
The incumbent government launched a PM’s National CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) programme for the general public to enable them to become a life-saver.
The government recently established National Autism and Mental Health Centre for children in the federal capital as a first such high quality facility in the country. In the first phase, the centre will offer diagnostic and treatment facilities at the out-patients department (OPD).
In order to promote an equitable health education system, the federal government directed the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) to make arrangements for the inclusion of young prisons in the next admission test of medical and dental colleges.
The government is in the process of establishing a Kidney Transplant Centre at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the federal capital and would also engage the reputed renal and liver transplant surgeons to run the facility.
The federal health ministry, in coordination with the provinces, has developed a National Tobacco Control Policy to sustain the tobacco control efforts in Pakistan It also banned all forms of tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorship besides enforcing graphic health warning with 60% space of cigarettes packs and outers.
