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Express Tribune
18-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
District hospitals low on spending agenda
While the Punjab government has increased the health sector development budget for 2025-26 by 131 per cent as compared to the outgoing financial year, the non-development expenses outweigh the allocation and the tehsil and district hospitals appear to have been accorded a low priority. "We appreciate the Punjab government over the allocation of funds for various pending hospital construction projects, including the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Bahwalnagr Hospital. However, there are minimum funds for the district and tehsil headquarters hospitals that are the most important for the local residents," said Punjab Young Doctors Association Chairman Dr Salman Haseeb Chairman while commenting on the budget. He also opposed the policy of outsourcing government hospitals. As per the budget documents, the government has allocated Rs181 billion as development budget for the health sector for the year 2025-26 and Rs450 billion for non-developmental expenditures. The budget estimates for the foreign programme loans have been set at Rs47.896 billion. The provincial government is likely to receive budgetary support loans from international development partners for the National Health Support, Access to Clean Energy Investment, Punjab Family Planning, Punjab Green Development, Punjab Resource Improvement and Digital Effectiveness (PRIDE), Punjab Affordable Housing, Punjab Clean Air and Resilient STEM Secondary Education programmes. The flagship healthcare initiatives include a medical city, free medicines and new centres for cancer and cardiac care. The establishment of Nawaz Sharif Medical District in Lahore has been proposed, for which Rs109 billion has been allocated in 2025-26 for land acquisition. Under the project, Rs54 billion has been allocated for Children Hospital-II and Institute of Genetic Blood Diseases, Institute of Surgical Orthopedic and Medical Rehabilitation, Centre of Excellence for Nursing Education, Specialised Medical Hospital and College, a 1,000-bed Cardiac Institute, Medical University and state-of-the-art diagnostic lab. For the construction of medical colleges in Narowal, Okara and Layyah, an amount of Rs16 billion has been allocated. For the establishment of a children's hospital in Rawalpindi, Rs8.5 billion has been set aside. For a teaching hospital in Sialkot, Rs7 billion has been allocated. An allocation of Rs12.5 billion has been proposed for the Maryam Nawaz Community Health Services Programme through outsourced community health inspectors, for the establishment of centres of excellence for nursing education in Multan and Rawalpindi with ADB loan, Rs15 billion has been set aside. Moreover, for the establishment of burns units in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, Rs5 billion has been allocated. Budgetary allocations have also been made for revamping of the remaining BHUs across Punjab, dispensaries and mother and child health centres along with the provision of equipment, furniture and fixtures. Under the Chief Minister's Special Initiative for Dialysis, Rs8.6 billion has been earmarked, while for provision of free medicines in public sector hospitals, Rs79.5 billion has been set aside. With an amount of Rs25 billion, a Universal Health programme will be launched for provision of cheap and quality treatment facilities. For setting up cath labs at the district level, Rs3 billion has been allocated in the budget. General Cadre Doctors Association President Dr Masood Sheikh said the government had allocated ample budget for providing free medicines to patients but the amount should utilised transparently. He said many posts were vacant in the sector and the development expenditure needed to be hiked.
Business Recorder
28-04-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Protesting health employees clash with police
LAHORE: The police and the employees of the public hospitals had a clash here on Monday, when the latter tried to move from the Charing Cross to reach the CM Secretariat for holding their protest. The protestors had announced to move from the Charing Cross and stage a sit-in outside the CM Secretariat, to intensify the agitation against the outsourcing of the public hospitals. Following the announcement, the employees, including young doctors, nurses and paramedics, gathered in a large number on Monday and then marched towards the CM Secretariat. The police intensified security by making heavy deployment to engage the protesters at the Charing Cross and suggested to them to continue their agitation on the same venue. However, the protestors rejected the offer of the police. A clash took place between the two sides when the employees insisted for moving forward. It was alleged by the protestors that the police reportedly thrashed some of the young medics. The protestors moved back to their position at Chairing cross and continued protest. In the related development, the paramedics of some hospitals completely shut down the OPD and some other wards of the hospital which caused hardships to the patients. Reportedly, they locked the rooms of the doctors at the OPD and pushed the patients outside the facility. Moreover, the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has ordered to immediately stop the salaries of doctors who are absent from hospitals without permission. The salaries will be restored after the doctors' report back to the respective hospitals. Instructions have been issued to all medical superintendents in this regard. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has started disciplinary action against doctors who are absent from hospitals without permission. The Punjab Health Department has also imposed a ban on the leaves of all doctors, nurses and allied health staff. Those taking Ex-Pakistan Leave, EOL, study, maternity and Iddat leaves will be exempted from this ban. Doctors, nurses and allied health staff will be immediately returned to their Instructions have been given to report for duty. A letter has also been issued in this regard. Further, the Department has suspended two doctors under the PEEDA Act and dismissed one doctor from service for misconduct and closure of OPD of a teaching hospital. According to the details, Dr. Salman Haseeb of Services Hospital Lahore is suspended and training of PGR Dr. Ahmed Yar of Children Hospital Lahore has been suspended while Dr Muhammad Amir Bashir of General Hospital Lahore has been terminated from service. A notification has been issued in this regard. The Department alsos dismissed 3 medical officers of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha for misconduct and closure of OPD, transferred one medical officer, while PG training of Nishtar Hospital Multan has been suspended. According to the details, Dr Muhammad Asjad Saleem, Medical Officer of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha, has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, Medical Officer Dr. Osama Bin Saeed has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, and Medical Officer Dr Wajid Ali has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, while Medical Officer Dr Usman Imtiaz has been transferred and handed over to the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care. According to details, the PG training of Dr Salman Ghafoor, a postgraduate resident of Nishtar Hospital Multan, has been suspended immediately due to misconduct and violation of discipline. A notification has also been issued in this regard. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
2 doctors suspended, one dismissed
The OPD at the Sargodha District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital wears a deserted look due to a strike. Photo: Express/FILE The Punjab Health Department has suspended two doctors and dismissed another from service for misconduct and closure of the OPD of a teaching hospital. According to a statement, the department had taken disciplinary action that employees absent from hospitals without permission. Their salaries will be stopped immediately and will only be restored once they report back to their hospitals. Instructions have been issued to all medical superintendents in this regard. The department has also imposed a ban on the leaves of all doctors, nurses and allied health staff except ex-Pakistan, study, maternity and Iddat leaves. The doctors, nurses and allied health staff have been instructed to return to their duty. The department suspended two doctors under the Punjab Employees Efficiency Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act and dismissed one doctor from service for misconduct and closure of the outpatient department of a teaching hospital. Dr Salman Haseeb of the Services Hospital and the training of PGR Dr Ahmed Yar of Children Hospital Lahore were suspended, while Dr Muhammad Amir Bashir of General Hospital Lahore was terminated from service. A notification was issued in this regard.
