Staff Reporter
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Friday emphasized the need for safe treatment of patients in healthcare outlets and ensure their best possible care.
“The World Patient Safety Day gives us an opportunity to renew pledge for safe treatment of patients.”
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was speaking at a seminar organised at Fatima Jinnah Medical University in connection with the World Patient Safety Day 2021 here on Friday.
Vice Chancelor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Professor Amir Zaman Khan, Focal Person for Patient Safety and Quality Dr Hussain Jaffery, WHO Head of Office Punjab Dr Jamshed Ahmed, Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shirin Khawar, MS Ganga Ram Hospital Dr Athar, Prof Javed Chaudhry, faculty members and a large number of students attended the seminar.
The Health Minister also led a walk for awareness on Patient Safety in the university. Prof Amir Zaman and Dr Hussain Jaffery presented national and international statistics on patient safety.
Dr Yasmin Rashid said: “The day offers us an opportunity to renew pledge for safe treatment for patients.
As doctors we must ensure no patient faces harm in healthcare outlets. By taking some extra measures, a lot of lives can still be saved.”
Dr Yasmin informed that theme of World Patient Safety Day 2021 is “Safe Maternal and Newborn Care” and all stakeholders are urged to “Act now for safe and respectful childbirth.”
She decaled that maternal and child health and patient safety are the top priority of the government as these are the main themes of the Punjab Health Sector Strategy 2019 – 2028.
“The government is building seven new maternal and child health hospitals in Lahore, Mianwali, Attock, Rajanpur, Layyah, Multan and Bahawalnagar.”
The minister said that Lahore’s 650 bed quaternary facility at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital will be functional by June 2022. This will also cater for cancer patients. “The WHO also lays special emphasis on Patient Safety.
In order to meet our SDG targets, we are taking many measures. We have already achieved 90 % routine immunization coverage target this year. Our 1400 BHUs are now operating on 24/7 model to ensure safe deliveries.
Moreover, following the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s government will provide health insurance cards to all the population of Punjab by the end of this year,” Dr Yasmin said.
The World Patient Safety Day is observed globally on 17th September every year.
The objectives of WPSD are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and work towards global solidarity and action by all stakeholders to improve patient safety.
Focal Person Patient Safety & Quality Dr. Hussain Jaffery said that at least five patients die a minute because of unsafe health care globally. Over 134 million adverse events occur each year in hospitals in LMICs, contributing to 2.6 million deaths annually, accounting for two thirds of the global burden of adverse events.
WHO Head of Office Punjab Dr. Jamshed Ahmed said: “I congratulate organizers for holding an awareness seminar on patient safety and I appreciate Dr. Yasmin Rashid for her special focus on improving the maternal and child health in Punjab.”
Vice Chancellor, FJMU Prof, Dr Aamir Zaman Khan, thanked the Health Minister and underscored the importance of the World Patient Safety day.
Later, responding to queries of journalists, the Health Minister said that Ganga Ram Hospital has already been providing treatment services for breast cancer patients.
She said that Oncology departments were made fully functional all hospitals of Punjab.
To a query, she responded that Actemra injection shortage was a global issue.
