Staff Reporter
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid said here Friday that Punjab will see visible improvement in the availability of quality medicines, stocks and supplies with the inclusion of 440 new pharmacists in the system.
Chairing the welcome and orientation session of 440 new pharmacists who have joined the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department recently, at the King Edward Medical University Lahore, the minister said that the government has hired the new pharmacists through merit and they will provide major boost to healthcare service delivery.
Also present on the occasion were Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Capt (retd) Mohammad Usman, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Special Secretary Ajmal Bhatti, King Edward Medical University Vice-Chancellor Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, Drug Regulatory Authority Punjab Secretary Dr Sohail, faculty members and students.
Addressing the newly recruited Pharmacists, Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the PTI government believed in meaningful social development rather than infrastructure projects alone. The minister said, ‘We have brought around 26,000 human resources in the department since we took over. As many 15,000 doctors have been hired and now we have doctors available at 93pc BHUs’.
She further said, “You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders. You will be ensuring quality controls of medicines, keeping a close eye on the availability and stocks of essential medicines, ensuring patient facilitation along with stipulated tasks. You will be working with doctors and play your role in dealing cases requiring special attention.”
Later, she distributed Sehat Insaf Cards among the citizens of Gujranwala division. Special Advisor to CM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and other renowned personalities were present on this occasion.
Dr Yasmin Rashid said that improvement in the health sector was among the top priorities of Imran Khan as education and health were the sectors which directly affected the people.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Department spokesman has said that there was no hurdle in the provision of free of cost medicines to the registered cancer patients in Punjab. Health Department is providing free of cost medicines to more than five thousand registered cancer patients.
These medicines are being provided in hospitals of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan. The spokesperson strongly contradicted the news items about the non-availability of medicines to cancer patients.
