Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the preparation of a revised medicines list for government hospitals and called for a foolproof mechanism to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential drugs.
Presiding over a meeting on health projects, the chief minister directed the formation of a dedicated committee to finalise the updated medicines list. She expressed concern over reports of medicine shortages despite substantial budget allocations, noting that Rs80 billion was being spent on medicines and any lapse in delivery to patients is “unacceptable.”
The meeting also reviewed proposals to modernise public hospitals, including the potential use of Chinese-manufactured medical equipment to upgrade healthcare facilities across the province.
Taking serious notice of public complaints regarding hospitals’ security staff, CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved, in principle, the installation of body cameras for security guards, ward boys, nurses, and pharmacy staff. She also directed hospitals’ administration to ensure comprehensive daily steam cleaning of facilities by 9:00 a.m.
The CM further ordered a ban on the use of mobile phones by doctors and nurses during duty hours, stressing that patient care must remain the foremost priority.
To strengthen hospital management, the meeting approved the creation of a Medical Superintendent (MS) pool, with salary increments linked directly to performance. Community health inspectors were also assigned the responsibility of conducting hospital surveys to monitor service delivery.
Additionally, the CM directed the establishment of a data analysis centre to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of public welfare initiatives in the health sector.
The briefing highlighted that over 2,500 doctors have been recruited over the past two years. It was also reported that 585,000 patients across the province have been registered for home delivery of cardiac medicines, with doorstep delivery completed for 6,000 patients suffering from hepatitis and tuberculosis.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif emphasised that the government will no longer tolerate wastage of public funds or citizens’ time, warning that inefficiency and negligence in public hospitals will not be accepted.