There is some profuse economic development in Pakistan. Still, this growth rate of economic development is not possible without an increase in the standard living of the people. Experts also admit that the quality of life will be high only when people get health facilities, and if people across the country do not have access to health, education, nutritive food, clean water supply and better drainage facilities then how will the quality of life of the people of this country improve?
Education and health are the top priorities of governments around the world, and governments are scrambling to provide the best education and medical facilities to their people quickly and easily whereas, at all costs, education and health are considered a lifeline and are kept in their first priorities.
Moreover, no exception is taken on the omission in this but every individual accident is also taken very seriously or every possible effort is made to solve it but with us, the situation is the opposite. Here even the common man is being deprived of the basic facilities of health and education. If any government has tried to provide basic health facilities to the common man, the incoming government has stopped everything as soon as it came to power. During the PTI regime, many projects were started regarding health, education and better food supply for the common people but the coalition government stopped everything so soon, however, PTI in Punjab has decided to advance the health card programme in a better way, upgrade the emergency wards of all the government hospitals of the province and provide all the medicines to the patients in the emergency wards as soon as they regain power.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi indeed initiated many welfare projects during his first term, including 1122 Rescue Service and special arrangements to provide medical facilities for all state hospitals. A supply of free medicines was also organized in the wards but it was not continued. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has once again got an opportunity in Punjab to ensure the provision of basic health facilities to the people of the entire province. Initiatives have been started and Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has decided to further improve the health card program, upgrade the emergency wards of all the government hospitals in the province and provide all medicines to the patients in the emergency wards free of charge. These actions of the Chief Minister are undoubtedly worthy of praise.
There is no doubt that the provision of health facilities in the province is very upsetting, especially in government hospitals, where patients are suffering, the free supply of medicines has stopped and operations have been postponed for several months. In this regard, the worst situation is in cardiology hospitals, where patients are given a long wait from angiography to bypass operation,with the main reason for this is the abnormal increase in the number of patients. If recruitment of staff on merit is ensured along with the upgradation of hospitals, then the public is likely to get health facilities to a large extent.
It is gratifying that the Chief Minister of Punjab has paid attention to the health sector instantly, and on the one hand there is a lack of facilities in hospitals while on the other hand there is also a lack of emergency medical aid centers on the important and busy roads of the province including the motorway. If the Punjab government along with the upgradation of hospitals also establishes medical units on the highways where medical assistance facilities are available round the clock then in case of emergencies or accidents, the injured or critically ill people can be saved from dying by providing medical assistance. In this matter, trained medical staff can also be appointed on the pattern of 1122 with the suggestion that it can be expected that the Chief Minister of Punjab will definitely take immediate steps.
There is no doubt that if the country wants development, prosperity and peace then the rulers have to ensure health and education a place in their priorities and work hard for the development and promotion of these sectors under personal supervision with great honesty. Planning has been done in every government period. Also, there have been many claims and promises but there has been a lack of practical measures. The determination of the Punjab government to improve the health sector is in place, yet where the Chief Minister of Punjab is taking effective measures to improve the health sector, he must also devise a coordinated system to protect funds from theft with better planning and ensure that the funds are allocated to the rightful place, only then we will be able to emerge as a mentally and physically healthy nation.
