KEY POINTS
- Key hospital staff will wear body cameras to improve transparency and accountability.
- A strict zero-tolerance policy targets chronic medicine shortages despite an Rs 80 billion budget.
- Reforms introduce performance-based incentives for staff and a ban on mobile phones during duty hours.
- The plan includes upgrading medical equipment and deploying inspectors for on-ground monitoring.
LAHORE: In a major push for transparency, Pakistan’s Punjab government will equip key hospital staff with body cameras as part of a reform package, aiming to restore public trust through verifiable accountability.
The Punjab government on Friday announced a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at eradicating mismanagement, ensuring the timely availability of medicines, and making hospitals truly patient-centric.
The ambitious plan, approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, introduces strict accountability measures, performance-based incentives, and technological interventions to restore public trust in government healthcare facilities.
Zero tolerance for medicine shortages
The reforms squarely target the persistent crisis of medicine shortages. The Chief Minister, confronting Rs 80 billion annual drug budget, declared the situation unacceptable, stating plainly: “Any shortage at public hospitals is absolutely unacceptable. Denial of medicines to patients amounts to criminal negligence.”
To address this, the government has ordered the immediate preparation of a revised Essential Medicines List and the formation of a dedicated procurement committee.
A fool proof supply chain system will be implemented to guarantee that every patient receives their prescribed medicines without delay, aiming to eliminate stock-outs and black marketing within hospital premises.
Enforcing discipline and operational hygiene
To instil professionalism and improve the hospital environment, the CM issued strict operational directives. A ban on mobile phone use by doctors and nurses during duty hours has been imposed to ensure undivided attention to patient care.
Furthermore, all hospitals must complete daily steam cleaning of their premises by 9:00 a.m., a measure intended to enforce basic standards of hygiene and maintenance.
Unprecedented accountability through body cameras
In one of the most notable steps towards transparency, the government has approved, in principle, the installation of body cameras on security staff, ward boys, nurses, and pharmacy personnel.
This initiative is designed to directly address public complaints regarding staff behaviour, prevent theft or negligence, and create a verifiable record of interactions to improve both accountability and patient safety.
Merit-based governance and infrastructure upgrade
Shifting to a performance-driven model, the reforms include the creation of a Medical Superintendent (MS) Pool and a new policy to link salaries and incentives directly to staff and institutional performance. High-performing hospitals will be rewarded, while consistently poor performers will face strict administrative consequences.
In parallel, the province will procure modern Chinese medical equipment to upgrade diagnostic and treatment facilities across hospitals. This move is aimed at bridging the technological gap and improving the quality of care.
Data-driven monitoring and existing outreach
For sustained improvement, the government will deploy Community Health Inspectors to conduct regular, on-ground surveys of hospital conditions and patient satisfaction. A Health Data Analysis Centre will also be established to evaluate the effectiveness of all health initiatives, ensuring evidence-based policy adjustments.
The meeting was informed of ongoing efforts, including the recruitment of over 2,500 doctors in the last two years and the successful doorstep delivery of medicines for 585,000 cardiac patients and thousands more being treated for hepatitis and tuberculosis.
Pledge for tangible change
Reaffirming a zero-tolerance stance towards inefficiency and corruption, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif declared that the wastage of public funds and citizens’ time would no longer be tolerated.
“Improving healthcare services remains a core priority. These reforms are designed to ensure reliable and dignified healthcare for every citizen of Punjab,” she said, vowing personal oversight to ensure the measures translate into tangible public relief.
The multi-pronged strategy signals the government’s intent to conduct a deep, systemic repair of public healthcare, focusing on accountability, transparency, and patient dignity as its foundational pillars.
