Punjab: Paramedics service upgrade soon

[Naveed Yaseen]

MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif has announced that Punjab government would soon upgrade service structure of the paramedics to remove their deprivations and to recognise their role in forming backbone of the healthcare delivery system in the province.

Punjab government has also regularised 2,000 doctors with postgraduate qualifications, while earlier it has already regularised the services of nearly 4,000 junior doctors in the province, said Hamza Shahbaz during the fourth monthly reward and recognition ceremony of the Allama Iqbal Medical College and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, to honour those employees, who had performed extraordinarily during the month of July, 2009, at the AIMC auditorium on Wednesday. Each month, the best performers from amongst the doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and employees, one from each category, are awarded a cash award of Rs 10,000, commendation certificate, shield as well as display of photograph in the main areas of the institution. This time, the administration also included employees of AIMC for recognition against previous practice of awarding best employees of Jinnah Hospital alone for their performance during the last three months.

Hamza Shahbaz, while declaring health as the top priority of the provincial government, said provincial government would protect the rights of the medical community whose sole responsibility should be to guard the rights of poor patients. “The doctors and paramedical staff can earn the blessings of Almighty Allah by proper treatment and look after of the patients,” he added.

He lauded the efforts of the administration under the leadership of AIMC/JHL Principal Prof Dr Javed Akram for organising a function to recognise good performance of the paramedical staff, nurses, doctors and other employees of the institution.

He also lauded the efforts of Prof Dr Javed Akram for setting up an institute of allied health sciences to train paramedics, citing that properly trained paramedics were the backbone of a good healthcare delivery system.

Earlier, AIMC/JHL Principal Prof Javed Akram said that those who served the poor patients deserved to be honoured for their selfless commitment in delivery of healthcare services. “We are following the mission of the Punjab chief minister by providing the common man with the best available treatment,” he said, adding that the facilities of medicines, open heart surgery and dialysis were being provided to the patients free of cost in the hospital.

In this institution, he said, that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were being adopted for each activity. He informed the participants that the Jinnah Hospital would soon acquire ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 certification for excellence of facilities and services to the patients, while adding that the institution would also go for higher accreditation at the international level.

He said that the institution had collected more than Rs 80 million and that a modern cafeteria for patients and a patient welfare centre had been set up with these funds. Besides, he said, plasma paresis and a dialysis centre had already been set up by utilising these funds.

He said that the institution also intended to launch its TV channel and FM radio for promotion of healthcare, which would be run on self-help-basis, and asked MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif to support for registration of TV and radio channels by the Pemra.

He said that Jinnah Hospital’s team of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff had also served their Pakistani brothers and sisters of Swat and Malakand division and a 50-member team of Jinnah Hospital was still in Buner for the treatment and care of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Similarly, he said that a team of doctors had also gone to Gaza for medical relief of their Muslim brethrens in distress during Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians. “Some of the patients from Gaza are still under treatment in Jinnah Hospital,” he added.

Later, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif distributed awards and certificates among the best performers. In the AIMC, Dr Muhammed Imran, Pathology, won as best doctor, Mazhar Munir, Forensic Deptt, as the best paramedic and M Sagheer Butt, Digital Library, as the best employee. Similarly, in Jinnah the Hospital, Dr Ali Hasnain was awarded as best doctor, Miss Shamsa as best nurse, Ghulam Dastagir as best paramedic and Muhammed Ilyas, security guard, as best employee. Hamza Shahbaz also planted a sapling in the lawns of Allama Iqbal Medical College and then visited the Accident and Emergency Department of Jinnah Hospital. He also visited the Dialysis Centre and distributed gifts among the dialysis patients.

He also met the representatives of Young Doctors Association, doctors of Southern Punjab and paramedical staff and assured them that their problems would be resolved on priority basis.

Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Chief Executive of Shalamar Hospital and Principal of AIMC/JHL for training of postgraduate students of Shalamar Hospital at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.

Besides, Advisor to the Chief Minister Pervaiz Malik, Chief Minister’s Task Force on Spurious Drugs Chairman Dr Saaed Elahi, MPA Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Shalamar Hospital Chief Executive Dr Rashid Ahmed, AIMC/JHL Board of Management Chairman Mian Mehboob Iqbal and Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Hassan were also present.