- During ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s era, 90pc of medicines were available free in hospitals: Punjab CM
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday stated that the government had managed to control key challenges being faced by the patients and the doctors in public sector hospitals, reaffirming the commitment to improve healthcare in the province.
“There were huge challenges in healthcare sector, but the Punjab government has managed to control key challenges, including theft and shortage of medicines and the outsourcing of medical tests.”
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, CM Maryam spoke about the government’s initiatives to address healthcare issues in the province, recalling that when her government took over reigns, she was told that that medicines were stolen from government hospitals and patients were being asked to get their tests done from private labs. She said this was a serious issue which the government had rectified to a great extent.
Maryam Nawaz also acknowledged the difficulties surrounding the healthcare system, particularly in providing quality services to the 140 million residents of Punjab. “The healthcare facilities available to our people are not up to the mark, and these issues keep me up at night,” she said.
Punjab CM also highlighted that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, 90 percent of free medicines in hospitals were free but now this ratio has dropped to just 30%, a situation which was alarming and the government was trying to fix it.
She said during the previous government it was boldly declared that cancer treatment would no longer be free. However, she assured the public that the tradition of providing free medicines had been revived and that she personally checked on the availability of medicines during her hospital visits.
One of the major issues Maryam Nawaz addressed was the lack of a sense of duty and service within the healthcare sector.
“Our national tragedy is that we do not take our work as a service or responsibility. Many people in health-related roles merely complete their shifts without understanding the value of their work,” she said.
The Chief Minister condemned the theft of medicines in government hospitals, noting that security personnel had been found taking money from patients for hospital admissions.
Maryam Nawaz shared her plans to improve the healthcare infrastructure in the province. She said change does not come overnight, but we are making significant efforts.
She said mobile health clinics have already treated over 7 million people. She also mentioned the start of free home delivery services for medicines, with a focus on cancer, hepatitis, and heart disease treatments. A new heart disease hospital, with state-of-the-art facilities, is also being built in Punjab. During a recent visit to China, Maryam Nawaz gained insights into modern cancer treatments, which she plans to bring to Pakistan. “The biggest success will be bringing this advanced cancer treatment to our country,” she said, adding that construction of Pakistan’s first government cancer treatment hospital was progressing rapidly.
Additionally, the Chief Minister announced the establishment of the Nawaz Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha, a facility that will provide heart disease treatment in a region previously lacking such services. Maryam Nawaz also emphasized the ongoing renovation of Punjab’s primary healthcare centers, with 1,250 units set to be fully renovated this month.
