Staff Reporter
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Thursday said that best possible treatment of Covid-19 is being provided at all public sector hospitals and there has been a significant decrease in the number of cases recently as compared to other parts of the country.
She was speaking to media after a visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.
Additional Secretary Development Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Dr. Asif Tufail and Vice-Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Prof Dr Omar were also present on the occasion.
The health minister said that Punjab has conducted over 2.8 million Corona tests and the process of Contact Tracing tests is vigorously underway. In the last 24 hours, 15,300 corona tests were performed. She added that the first shipment of the Corona vaccine shall reach Pakistan very soon and vaccine shall be distributed to all provinces as per national policy. If a notable decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases is witnessed after 15th February, the Dialysis, Emergency and outdoor will be formally opened for all patients at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.
The minister said: “The promise of Prime Minister Imran Khan on the provision of Sehat Sahulat Cards for every household of Punjab is very soon going to be fulfilled. By December 2021, all 29.3 million families of Punjab will be provided Sehat Sahulat Cards. Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has given final shape to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and allocated Rs. 80 billion for the program. So far we have distributed cards among 5.2 million families of Punjab and 287,000 people have utilized the services from the card. In case a patient exhausts his stipulated limit of 720,000, he may be given the additional cover of 300,000. The cardholders can avail the facility of free healthcare from over 270 private sector hospitals in the province.
Dr Yasmin Rashid said that she wanted to assure that trials of COVEX have been completed in partnership with World Health Organization and GAVI and the results are being reviewed in Canada. In the next two to three weeks, complete results will come to the fore. We have conducted trials jointly with COVEX therefore large share of vaccine shall be provided to us. As per agreed policy, in the next three to four months vaccine for 20 per cent population will be given to Pakistan. Initially, the vaccine shall be provided to frontline health workers and then people of over 65 age group suffering from other ailments shall be given. The number of recovered patients of Covid-19 is much greater than the number of new admissions.”
The health minister said that Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has inaugurated the Typhoid vaccination campaign just a day earlier. She said, “Under this campaign, children between ages of 9 months to 15 years shall be given vaccination from 1st to 15th of February.
In this campaign, more than 20 million children shall be given the vaccination at camps and kit stations set up at stipulated sites and educational institutions. This will be a unique and historic campaign in which such a large age group shall be vaccinated. This campaign is being conducted in partnership with the World Health Organization and UNICEF and we are trying to save children from water-borne diseases.”
Responding to queries of journalists, the Health Minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to make Pakistan a welfare state by creating maximum facilities in health and education for people. In order to achieve this dream, revolutionary steps are being taken in both health and education. The holders of Sehat Sahulat cards can avail free health services at the RIC, PIC, MIC and FIC. Thousands of people who availed free healthcare services pray for the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar for this great initiative. She said in case of refusal from a healthcare facility, patients can file complaints and government will definitely take notice. She said the government is trying to ensure that a poor man does not bear the burden of health expenses hence Sehat Sahulat cards are given. The card holders can get treatment of Trauma, Seizure, Hernia, cardiac problems neurosurgery, dialysis, diabetes as well as other diseases. She said the government has evolved a strategy to monitor doctors’ attendance, treatment for patients and provision of medicines. Top officials of the department undertake surprise visits of different facilities and monitor the status of facilities at different hospitals. In case of negligence, strict action is taken against the responsible staff.
