• On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a significant meeting was held at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.

• Additional Secretary Ashfaq-ur-Rehman and Additional Secretary Dr. Waheed Asghar from the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department attended the meeting.

• The meeting reviewed various matters, including hospital management, queue management, and patient care.

Statements by Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique:

• All stakeholders must play their role in improving the healthcare system.

• Under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, historic steps are being taken in the health sector.

• The Chief Minister has directed the immediate payment of outstanding dues of government hospitals.

• The provision of free medicines in government hospitals is being ensured.

• Hospitals have been instructed to display lists of available medicines.

• Complaint counters are being activated in government hospitals.

• Waiting areas in government hospitals should be equipped with chairs and benches for attendants.

• Mist fans are to be installed in open waiting areas of government hospitals.

• Patients visiting government hospitals should not face any inconvenience.

• The largest cancer treatment and research institute in Asia, the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, is being established in Lahore.

• State-of-the-art Nawaz Sharif Institutes of Cardiology are being set up in Lahore and Sargodha.

• The Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program, Chief Minister’s Dialysis Program, and Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Program are flagship health initiatives.

• Queue management systems are being operated in 16 out of 58 tertiary care hospitals with the support of PITB.

• In the next phase, the queue management system will be introduced in all other tertiary care hospitals.

• Hospitals have been instructed to display duty rosters.

• There will be no compromise on cleanliness in government hospitals.

• The Punjab government is providing additional funds beyond the budget to ensure the supply of medicines in hospitals.

• Licensing and cleanliness of hospital blood banks are also being ensured.

• The Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department is working on infection control in government hospitals.

• E-tendering is being carried out for the contracts of hospital parking areas and cafeterias.

• Pakistan Post is ensuring the delivery of medicines to patients at their homes through seven cardiac and five cancer hospitals.

• The Punjab Healthcare Commission has been directed to conduct continuous inspections of government hospitals.

Participants of the Meeting:

• Vice-Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal

• Vice-Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences, Prof. Masood Sadiq

• Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Junaid Rasheed

• Principal of Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Prof. Zohra Khanam

• Managing Director of Children’s Hospital Lahore, Prof. Tipu Sultan

• Medical Superintendent (MS) of Services Hospital, Dr. Abid Mahmood Ghouri

• MS of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Dr. Aamir Rafique

• MS of General Hospital, Dr. Faryad

• MS of Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Dr. Umar Ishaq