Punjab’s Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr. Jamal Nasir announced that more than 300 basic health units (BHUs) in remote and underdeveloped areas of the province are now offering round-the-clock medical services, following the directive of Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi.
Dr. Nasir, while presiding over a departmental review meeting on Wednesday, revealed that additional medical staff, including doctors and paramedics, have been deployed to ensure these BHUs remain operational 24/7. Additionally, the caretaker government has supplied 300 ultrasound machines to enhance healthcare services at these primary health facilities. Dr. Jamal Nasir outlined that these 24/7 BHUs are equipped to provide Basic Emergency, Obstetrics & Newborn Care (EMONC), Antenatal & Postnatal Care, family planning services, immunizations (BCG, OPV, Hep B, DPT, Measles, TT), laboratory services, ultrasound services, 24-hour ambulance services, and Mother & Child Healthcare counseling, going beyond the standard BHU functions.
This initiative aims to extend access to quality healthcare services in underserved areas, ultimately relieving the burden on city hospitals.
Furthermore, the government plans to introduce post-graduate programs for doctors at district headquarters hospitals in less developed districts, such as Attock, Bhakkar, Mandi Bahauddin, and Jhang, in collaboration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan through a signed MoU. This move is expected to make specialist medical services more accessible to the residents of these districts.
