Punjab announces monthly Hospital of the Month award

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a monthly "Hospital of the Month" award for health facilities that perform strongly across the province. She made the announcement while chairing a video-link review of the health department.

The chief minister said the government has already recruited 2,524 doctors, 2,482 women medical officers, 408 consultants and 32 cardiologists. Another 7,572 lady health visitors and 5,048 support staff have been posted in hospitals, she added. She ordered that 40,000 more doctors and allied health professionals be hired for hospitals across Punjab.

The meeting decided to upgrade 300 Maryam Nawaz Hospitals, previously rural health centres, into fully operational hospitals. The chief minister noted that 911 Clinics on Wheels had provided medical care to 30 million patients in a short period. It also approved digital medical boxes for the clinics for the first time in the province. The boxes will run ultrasound, blood sugar, complete blood count and ECG tests through one system, and a camera can be attached for teleconferencing. A smart ultrasound device connected to a mobile phone will also be introduced.

Maryam Nawaz directed that a new CT scan machine be installed in every district and that telemedicine centres be set up for seasonal and common illnesses. Patients will be able to consult doctors by video call and be referred to the relevant hospital and ward when necessary. She also ordered the immediate replacement of medical superintendents at four hospitals over poor performance and negligence, and called for a standing pool of doctors and medical superintendents for emergencies.

The chief minister asked for better cleanliness and parking at district and tehsil headquarters hospitals. Clinic Quality Control Officers will be appointed for the first time to assess patient care, and a Directorate of Monitoring and Surveillance has been set up under Primary Healthcare for round-the-clock digital monitoring. The system will cover district and tehsil headquarters hospitals, Maryam Nawaz Hospitals, Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics, field hospitals and Clinics on Wheels.

The meeting was told that Community Health Monitoring Health Inspectors had registered and collected data on more than 119.8 million people across Punjab. Medicines were delivered to the homes of 3,444 type-1 diabetes patients, 14,286 hepatitis patients and 13,864 tuberculosis patients. The meeting also approved legislation to connect private clinics with the Health Information Management System. Provincial Secretary for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Nadia Saqib briefed the meeting.