Punjab government has given top priority to southern Punjab as major focal point for providing health services to end the development gap between central and southern Punjab by launching some mega projects in the area like Multan Institute of Cardiology (MIC) worth more than one billion rupees.
Punjab Minister for Health Dr Tahir Ali Javed said this at a press conference here after completing his daylong visit to monitor the pace of ongoing work on health projects.
He said the ministry of health has submitted a summary to Punjab cabinet for the establishment of 'Punjab Institute of Organ Transplant' to provide the facility under one roof.
He promised that if the proposal was approved then a branch of the institute would also be established in Multan.
The Minister said that Punjab cabinet has decided not to allow mushroom growth of universities under University Ordinance, and a committee has been constituted for approval of the establishment of university.
He said that development funds utilisation ratio is very slow at present and stern action would be taken for low utilisation of funds on development.
The minister said that much costly MIC is the only project being constructed in Multan around the country which would provide free cardiology treatment to people of this region besides reducing burden on Lahore. He said that Rs 971 million would be spent on the establishment of MIC, including Rs 533 million for building and Rs 394 million for equipment purchase.
Refuting opposition propaganda for discriminating with southern Punjab, the Minister said that opposition MPAs have very little knowledge about the facts sheet. The provincial government has launched all major projects in southern Punjab including MIC in Multan, medical college in Rahimyar Khan, revamping the entire health infrastructure at BHUs, RHUs and equipping Bahawalpur with cardiac treatment facilities.
He said that Multan Cardiology Institute would be a historic landmark. Major share from allocation of Rs 10 billion for hospitals emergency revamping was released to southern Punjab last year. Children complex and DHQ projects for Multan are being executed.
He said that private sector and civil society should make an entry in treatment of cancer and dialysis which, being too costly, the government cannot afford free treatment in these diseases.
The Nishtar Medical College Hospital Principal Professor Dr Shabir Ahmed Nasir, Nishtar Hospital BoG Chairman Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi and Nishtar Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Arif Saeed were also present on the occasion.
Comments
Comments are closed.