Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken serious notice of reports about shortages of medicines in government hospitals, despite heavy public spending on healthcare. She said that nearly Rs80 billion is allocated every year for drugs, and any failure in hospital medicine supply is simply not acceptable.
Officials briefed her that delays in procurement, weak monitoring, and poor storage management often disrupt availability, even when funds are released on time. The CM made it clear that patients should not suffer because of administrative gaps.
Updated Drug List and Monitoring System
To fix long-standing problems, the CM ordered a revised medicines list for all public hospitals so that essential drugs are always available where they are most needed. A special committee has been formed to finalize this list and review it regularly based on disease trends and patient loads.
She stressed that hospital medicine supply must be planned according to real demand instead of outdated records, especially in emergency wards and chronic disease units.
Modern Equipment to Support Better Treatment
During the meeting, proposals were also reviewed to upgrade hospitals with modern medical equipment, including cost-effective machines from Chinese manufacturers. Officials said this could help improve diagnostics and reduce delays in treatment.
Better equipment, along with stable hospital medicine supply, is expected to reduce patient referrals to private hospitals and lower out-of-pocket expenses for families.
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Body Cameras and Cleanliness Orders for Staff
Taking strict notice of complaints about hospital behavior and safety, the CM approved the idea of body cameras for security guards, ward boys, nurses, and pharmacy staff. The aim is to improve discipline and protect patients from mistreatment.
She also ordered daily steam cleaning of wards and corridors before 9:00 a.m., saying that cleanliness is as important as hospital medicine supply in preventing infections.
Ban on Mobile Phone Use During Duty
To improve patient care, the CM ordered a ban on mobile phone use by doctors and nurses while on duty. She said hospital staff must focus fully on patients, especially in critical care areas.
Officials were told that strict supervision would be introduced to ensure that service quality improves along with hospital medicine supply.
Performance-Based Hospital Management Reforms
The government has approved the creation of a Medical Superintendent pool, where postings and salary increases will depend on performance. This move is aimed at reducing political influence and improving professional accountability in hospital leadership.
Community health inspectors will now conduct regular hospital surveys, checking cleanliness, medicine stocks, and patient feedback to support better hospital medicine supply and services.
Data Centre to Track Health Projects
The CM also directed the establishment of a data analysis center to measure how well health programs are working. This center will track medicine availability, patient flow, and treatment outcomes across the province.
She said policy decisions must be based on real data, not paperwork, especially when it comes to hospital medicine supply and welfare schemes.
Recruitment and Home Delivery of Medicines
Officials informed the meeting that more than 2,500 doctors have been recruited in the last two years to reduce staff shortages. Around 585,000 patients are now registered for home delivery of heart medicines, while thousands of hepatitis and TB patients are receiving drugs at their doorsteps.
These programs are meant to ease pressure on hospitals and strengthen overall hospital medicine supply, especially for long-term patients who need regular treatment.
Teaching Hospitals Also Directed to Improve Supply
Separately, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting on medicine availability in Lahore’s five largest teaching hospitals. He said all pending dues of about Rs22 billion from the last five years have been cleared to prevent supply disruptions.
He added that ensuring smooth hospital medicine supply is a top priority under the CM’s vision, and no patient should return home without prescribed medicines.
Zero Tolerance for Waste and Negligence
The CM warned that misuse of funds and careless hospital management will no longer be tolerated. She said public money and patients’ time are both valuable, and the system must respect both.
She concluded that stable hospital medicine supply, disciplined staff, and modern facilities are the foundation of a trustworthy public health system, and reforms will continue until real improvement is visible on the ground.
