AMRAIZ KHAN
The Punjab government is doing wonders in the field of health by spending Rs. 51 billion to provide health facilities to 2.3 million people under Sehat Card program. It is worth mentioning here that the Punjab government has provided treatment worth Rs. 0.8 million to every individual of Punjab. Under the Sehat Card scheme around 800 hospitals have treated more than a million patients across the province.
Moreover, the Punjab government has approved bringing more hospitals under the umbrella of Sehat Card to treat poor patients free of cost. To make the treatment process hassle-free the Punjab government has declared Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) as Sehat Card and now any citizen can get treatment anywhere in the province by showing his CNIC instead of Sehat Card.
Among the patients treated so far included 0.5 million of kidney patients, 1.5 lacs eye patients, 2.65 lacs of maternity and pediatrics, 2500 of the appendix, 82000 patients with cardiac problems, 55000 of Cancer, and 33000 Hernia patients. The Punjab government was not only increasing a number of hospitals but also the number of diseases to include in treatment under the Health Card program.
The Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Dr Akhtar Malik, has regretted doing politics over the dengue issue and said that the PTI-led government during last three months has undertaken more effective measures to control dengue as compared to Hamza Shahbaz government.
A meeting in this regard was held at Punjab Civil Secretariat the Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sunbal, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners attended the meeting via video link. The health minister said that in a bid to control dengue, 20.4 million surveillance, 185,000 IRS, and 7000 fogging activities were undertaken by Hamza Shahbaz regime while our government during the past three months undertook 79.2 million dengue surveillance, 1.18 million IRS, and 100,000 fogging activities across the province which reflected out commitment towards addressing these issues. He observed that despite heavy flash floods and monsoon dengue situation in the province is much better and only 38 deaths due to dengue were reported in current years as compared to 98 casualties reported during the corresponding period of last year.
The Minister asked all deputy commissioners to expedite indoor surveillance activities to prevent the dengue situation. Secretary Health Dr Irshad Ahmad said that due to hectic surveillance activities of dengue workers only 17061 dengue-confirmed cases were reported in Punjab.
