LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to form a Chief Minister Health Vigilance Squad to monitor government hospitals across the province. It has also imposed a strict ban on mobile phone use by on-duty nurses and paramedical staff.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced several major reforms to improve healthcare services. She directed the launch of a Red and Blue Code Emergency System in all public hospitals and instructed that doctors be trained to use the system effectively. All hospital staff have been directed to strictly follow these emergency protocols.
The CM Health Vigilance Squad will visit hospitals regularly to ensure implementation of government directives, including those issued by the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department.
According to a notification by the department, all staff below Grade 18 are now prohibited from using mobile phones in emergency rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), and operation theatres. Instead, hospitals have been directed to introduce pager devices for internal communication among staff to reduce distractions and improve patient care.
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Maryam Nawaz also ordered that ventilators for both adults and children be made available in all teaching and district headquarters hospitals. She reviewed a plan for the phased deployment of trained doctors across the province and approved the establishment of catheterisation laboratories in major hospitals.
The Chief Minister stressed that heart specialists and surgeons must visit DHQ hospitals at least twice a week until the ‘Cath Lab’ project is completed. She also directed the appointment of consultants and specialists in required departments and asked for a comprehensive list of vacancies across Punjab.
To further improve service delivery, she ordered regular audits of outsourced cleaning and parking services in teaching and district hospitals.
Hospitals have also been instructed to clearly display SOPs for IV injections for nursing students, ensuring proper training and safety standards. Experienced nurses must be posted in emergency and paediatric wards for better patient management.
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The Health Department was asked to ensure that CT scan and MRI machines are fully functional in all major hospitals and that CCTV cameras are installed and working in government hospitals.
وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب مریم نوازشریف کی زیر صدارت اہم اجلاس،پرائمری اینڈ سکینڈری ہیلتھ میں بہتری کے لئے اہم فیصلے pic.twitter.com/ZjGnNoAEIu
— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) July 7, 2025
Additionally, Maryam Nawaz directed that CT scan and MRI machines in all major hospitals be made operational, and that CCTV cameras in government hospitals remain active at all times for monitoring.
She also ordered the establishment of trauma centres near emergency wards and ensured that life-saving drugs are available at all times. The government will also enforce emergency care protocols as per international standards to raise the overall quality of healthcare in Punjab.
The Secretary of Primary and Secondary Healthcare has been instructed to conduct interviews for the appointment of CEOs and medical superintendents in every district.
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