LAHORE:Punjab’s Labour and Human Resource Minister, Muhammad Manshaullah Butt, has warned the management of social security hospitals that any negligence in providing timely, quality treatment to workers and their families will not be tolerated. He issued the warning during an unannounced visit to two facilities on Lahore’s Multan Road.
The minister on Thursday paid a surprise visit to the Rahmatul-lil-Aalamin Cardiology Institute and the Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital. The purpose was to review the medical facilities provided to workers, cleanliness standards and administrative operations.
During the visit, the minister inspected various departments, wards and the pharmacy to assess the quality of healthcare. He spoke to admitted patients about their health, the progress of their treatment and the facilities available. The patients briefed him on the medical care they were receiving at the hospital, the statement said.
The hospital’s Medical Superintendent gave the minister a detailed briefing on administrative affairs, patient care and operational matters.
In a lighter moment, Butt administered polio drops to the children of workers present at the facility. The gesture coincides with the province’s ongoing immunisation drive; Punjab began its latest anti-polio campaign on September 21.
Instructing the management to ensure the best possible medical care for workers and their families, the minister said negligence in delivering timely, quality healthcare would not be tolerated.
In line with the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, he said, special focus was being placed on providing the best medical facilities to workers, and practical steps were being taken to expand the capacity of social security hospitals. He described workers as “the backbone of our economy” and said safeguarding their health and welfare was among the government’s top priorities.
Social security hospitals, run under the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), provide medical care to registered industrial and commercial workers and their dependants. For many low-income families, they are the main route to specialist treatment, including cardiac care.
The government has been trying to widen that net. Last month, a review meeting directed that unregistered workers be enrolled on a priority basis and monitoring tightened. Earlier this month, the minister distributed welfare grants to registered workers, and that 3,649 cheques worth Rs380 million were being disbursed across the province. The minister also said 73 schools had been set up for workers’ children.
Hospital upgrades have been a recurring theme of his tenure. In April, he directed the revamping of the Social Security Hospital in Sialkot, a project meant to double its beds from 50 to 100.
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