LAHORE: Separate emergency departments would be established at teaching hospitals across the province on the pattern of the Turkish Emergency Model.
The decision to this effect was taken in a meeting on Sunday with Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmad in the chair.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah said that posts of professor of emergency, associate professor emergency and other vacancies would be created with separate service career. “Attractive pay package would also be introduced for the posts for effective and smooth running of emergencies in the teaching hospitals,” he said, adding that Turkish experts would provide technical and consultancy services for the project. It has been proposed to start pilot project at Mayo Hospital.
Turkish experts on medical emergency services, including Dr Mehmat Akif, Dr Mehmat Ergin, Dr Yousaf Ali Altunsi, Dr Ayhan, Dr Ahmet Altiner and Dr Felah Attin, and all other heads of different teaching hospitals attended the meeting.
The Turkish experts briefed the secretary about their observations during their visit to different teaching hospitals of the metropolis. They said that separate emergency departments had been established at hospitals in Turkey for which dedicated staff had been deployed. They said that establishment of separate emergency services departments was essential at teaching hospitals of Punjab for providing immediate quality healthcare services to patients.
The health secretary agreed with the proposal of the Turkish experts and directed officers concerned to come up with the short-term and long-term proposals with the consultation of Turkish experts for establishing separate emergency departments at hospitals across the province.
He maintained that a close coordination and effective mechanism between emergency departments and indoor services of hospitals was vital for shifting of patients from emergency to wards for further treatment.
For the purpose, he said that short-term training courses would be arranged for already trained or qualified doctors.
The secretary said that the duty hours of doctors should not exceed eight hours and in case of special circumstances it should not exceed 12 hours. The government, he said, would provide all resources for hiring new staff, procurement of equipment and other allied material.
