IMF too endorsing ‘economy is on the right path’: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said that all the economic indicators are in the right direction and even International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been stating the Pakistan economy is moving on sustainable growth.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the new emergency department of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and a new 300-bed hospital in Sector G-13, here, the prime minister said that the new hospital is being set up in the federal capital after 1985.

The prime minister said that the present government has been able to bring about improvement in health and education system and all the economic indicators are moving in the right direction.

He said the present government was the first one that has reduced the expenditure and increased revenue.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that when he visited the PIMS hospital after assuming the office, he saw that the state of emergency of the hospital was not in good shape. So I decided to fix it. However, he said that the Dentistry Department of PIMS and some other departments were excellent.

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He said that foundation stone of a new hospital with 300 beds in G13 is being laid to cater to the growing population of the federal capital as no new hospital was built in Islamabad since 1985, whereas, population of the ICT has doubled during the last 10 years.

The prime minister said that emergency design of the hospital was sponsored by overseas Pakistani and the new hospital was also designed by American architects. He said hopefully Pakistani architects would also get training.

The prime minister added that for the first time in Pakistan, universal health coverage has been made available to all citizens except Sindh, adding such a facility is not even available in advance countries. This is a big step towards a welfare state, he said, adding that this facility is not being provided free of cost in the developed countries but the people have to pay premium there as well. While in Pakistan, he said that this facility is being provided free of cost.

The prime minister added that people can now get treatment in private hospitals and stated that doctors informed him that for the first time a worker’s heart operation was done.

The premier expressed the hope that now private hospitals will also be opened in the remote areas because of incentives.

The government has also introduced uniform education system up to fifth grade and would be gradually increased to higher grades as class system of education has not allowed the middle class progress, he added.

The prime minister said that uniform curriculum has been introduced to fifth grade.

The prime minister said that basic philosophy behind the state of Medina was to bring about revolution through change of mind and any nation that would follow the Prophet (PBUH)’s Sunnah would progress.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022