LAHORE –Punjab Minister for Law, Excise & Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said that government has provided an extra Rs2 billion for the control of communicable diseases, and has increased the budget by 19.8 per cent for ongoing expenditure for the health sector.
He said that government has reserved Rs2 billion to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs). He said that the government is using all available resources to provide better healthcare for the people especially mothers and children in rural areas of the province.
He said that skilled birth attendants, LHVs and LHWs are being appointed at health centres. He said that at present the mortality rate for children under five is 94/1000 and it will be reduced to 45 till the end of 2015 (MDGs target), the new born mortality rate is 54/1000 and it would be reduced up to 25 by year 2015, whereas, infant mortality rate is 77/1000 which would be reduced by 40 by the end of 2015. He said that the maternal mortality ratio is 350-500/100000 and would be reduced by 140.
He added that the government considers the dignity of the prestigious medical profession and will redress all the major problems being faced by the medical community including paramedics. He said that the focus of the Provincial government is on primary and protective healthcare so that they can achieve the millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
