National
January 13, 2021
MULTAN: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has betrayed his commitment by not returning to the country.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, she said that no new medical reports of Nawaz Sharif had been submitted to the government. She said a court had declared him an absconder. However, the minister said the government had the guarantor, who guaranteed Nawaz Sharif’s return.
Later, addressing a road show organised by the Punjab Health Foundation at the Government Emerson College Multan, the Punjab minister said that the Punjab government would provide health cards to 20.2 million by the end of this year. The government had also introduced special incentives for providing loan to the private sector, she added. She told that the government had allocated Rs 40 billion to ensure availability of health facilities in the private sector.
National
January 6, 2021
LAHORE: Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid started an initiative for eye check-up of over 600,000 children in Punjab’s three districts here on Tuesday. The minister signed an agreement with Fred Hollows Foundation Australia and School Education Department at the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. This agreement shall be very important in preventing eye diseases among children. Over 600,000 children of Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali and Khushab districts shall be provided eye check-up facility.
Medics’ sacrifices mark year of pandemic
At least 118 health professionals across the country have succumbed to coronavirus
PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN
LAHORE:
The medical professionals led the fight against novel coronavirus during the past year while offering unmatched sacrifices for the cause.
While researchers around the world focused on curing the disease, the doctors and paramedics put in every effort to provide medical care to the infected patients without caring for their own lives.
When the pandemic reached the country, the government had no preparation to save the people from it, nor did it have any equipment to protect the doctors.
No action taken to rein in drug prices
Cost of 350 medicines has skyrocketed
PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The government is yet to take any effective measures to reverse an unprecedented increase in the prices of medicines that has left them out of the reach of a large number of people amid rising inflation and unemployment in the country.
Prices of more than 350 drugs, especially life-saving medicines, have risen up to five-fold in recent years. In particular, an injection which has yet to be confirmed as being effective in curing coronavirus is being sold for up to Rs500,000.
The provincial government, health ministry and other authorities concerned appear to have no interest in ensuring availability of medicines to all citizens. Action in this regard by the officials concerned has not been witnessed in recent weeks. Pharmaceutical companies attributed the increase in the drug prices to a rise in the prices of their imported ingredients n the international market.
Punjab set to upgrade all BHUs on 24/7 model
Health minister says upgradation will be completed before deadline
A file photo of Dr Yasmin Rashid
LAHORE:
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said the upgradation of the Basic Health Units (BHUs) to 24/7 model was underway as per plan and will be completed before the stipulated deadline.
The minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting held to review the development status of upgradation of the BHUs to 24/7 model as well as progress of work under the Prime Minister Health Initiative on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by Primary and Secondary Health Department Secretary Captain (retd) Usman Younis and Development Additional Secretary Omar Farooq Alvi and other senior officials of the department. During the meeting, PSH Department Secretary Captain (retd) Usman Younis shared the latest information on progress against the targets.