Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the government is utilising all resources to control the corona pandemic and shall provide best treatment facilities to the patients.
She was chairing the 7th syndicate meeting of the Rawalpindi Medical University via video Link at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here on Monday. Additional Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Dr. Asif Tufail, Vice Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr Umar and Syndicate and faculty members RIU participated in the meeting.
RIU Vice Chancellor Professor Umar presented the agenda items for approval to the minister. The minister asked for progress and implementation status of the decisions made in the 6th syndicate meeting and directed the RIU team to submit complete financial sheet from 2009 to 2017.
The minister also granted conditional permission to University to award degrees. The minister also approved contract for boiler engineer as well as repair work for generators. The Minister granted approval for contract extension of employees from grade 1 to 15 and necessary upgradations as per law for sub engineers, junior clerks and Naib Qasids.
She appreciated Vice Chancellor Professor Umar for providing very good services to corona patients at the university and its attached teaching hospitals. She also directed the authorities to ensure implementation of the meeting decisions.
Responding to the queries of journalists, the minister said that the lockdown was announced as a last option and during the lockdown the government developed its resources to combat the pandemic. So far an amount of Rs 96 crore have been disbursed among the teaching hospitals of Punjab and overall Rs 5 billion have been spent on corona pandemic. More than 6,000 daily tests cost the government between Rs 2.5 crore rupees and 3 crore rupees. A meeting has been called to review the charges by private hospitals. In the middle of corona emergency, the strike call by YDA is inexplicable.
Nobody will be allowed to disrupt the treatment of corona patients in Punjab, she said. The MTI Act was enforced after consultations with the YDA and it will be piloted in some institutions before being scaled up to the entire province. “I salute all doctors treating corona patients as patients are recovering with their great efforts. In the middle of the pandemic, the department is also providing all routine services to the patients. The quarantine centres are providing necessary facilities to the patients. The chief minister is personally supervising the efforts to control coronavirus and is monitoring the services and the expenses. In cases of any irregularity, immediate action will be taken,” said the health minister.
