Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said alongwith eradication of polio and other diseases in children, the provincial government has taken this as a challenge to provide best healthcare facilities to prevent and treat people from Hepatitis, Malaria, HIV-Aids and other diseases.
“We need to make more effective health programmes started with the support of donor agencies and provincial government would play its due role in this connection,” he said this while addressing to a briefing to review the pace of different programmes running with support of donor agencies in health sector of the province.
Chief Minister said that government was decentralizing powers in health department so as the department could work and run more effectively, adding that the better recommendations of health department were being approved. “Now the responsible of health department must come up with better results,” he stressed.
Provincial Minister for Information Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Secretary Health Noorul Haq Baloch, Secretary Finance Mushtaq Raisani, DG health, coordinators of different programmes and other concerned health authorities were present on the occasion.
Secretary Health briefed Chief Minister about Expended Programme on Immunization (EPI), HIV-Aids, TB, Malaria, Hepatitis and other ongoing programmes in health sector.
Chief Minister directed secretary health for preparing a comprehensive plan to boost up the performance of health department and present it before the cabinet for approval. “Decentralization of power would help improve performance of departments and eliminate the tendency of absenteeism, therefore it has been decided that the powers of transfers and action against absent doctors and paramedical staff would be delegated to Divisional Directors and Divisional Health Officers” he said.
Malik Baloch said that provision of best healthcare facilities to the masses was the topmost priority of coalition government and through implementation of reforms we could achieve the set goals in health department.. If we did not pay serious heeds in this regard we could remain more backward in health sector, he remarked.
Taking serious notice of absent doctors and other paramedics, Chief Minister said that stern action should be taken against those doctors and paramedical staff who had been transferred but did not report on their duties. He also directed for the closure of salaries of doctors and other medical staff immediately who remain absent from their duties.
Chief Minister directed that vacant posts in health department should be fulfilled at the earliest and local people should be given preference in lower posts, adding appointment of competent and capable people should be ensured in technical and other posts.
He also directed for taking serious and practical steps for prevention of Hepatitis in all district and declared test of Hepatitis as compulsory for government employees.
During briefing about Hepatitis, Chief Minister directed for early establishment of Molecular lab, provision of other facilities so that people could have test facility in the province instead of going to other province.
Chief Minister was informed that for the control and treatment of TB patient’s equipments worth millions of rupees were installed in Fatima Jinnah TB Sanatorium but the required electricity was missing to functional machinery. Upon which he directed secretary health to take up this issue with QESCO authorities.
He also directed that all departments particularly health should prepare their websites so that people could have access to required information easily. Besides, he directed the dearth of specialists in far-flung areas of the province should also be addressed.
Chief Minister also expressed his displeasure over mounting the number of cases of polio and other diseases and said that government was determined to wipe out polio disease from the province and no negligence in this regard would be tolerated.
He directed that the programme for immunization of children against polio and other diseases should be made effective and functional, and action should be taken against absent vaccinators deputed in healthcare centers.
By Staff Reporter
Published in The Balochistan Point on December 29, 2014
