LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid has said that it is difficult to post doctors in the rural areas as they refuse to go there. She expressed these views during the question hour on the primary and secondary health department held in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday. In the absence of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Mian Shafi Muhammad chaired the House's proceeding. Opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz was also present on the occasion.

While responding to a question of Shazia Abid of PPP, the Minister told the House that it took some effort to post specialist doctors in the villages of a few districts. "In Rajanpur district, against 84 seats, 70 doctors are posted; the remaining vacant seats will be filled soon," she added.

Malik Arshad of PM-N took on the Health Minister by accusing her department of furnishing wrong answers. He said that the Minister's claim that the Rural Health Centre (RHC) in Tehsil Kameer, Sahiwal, has received the equipment worth Rs 40 million is wrong, and added that the Deputy Commissioner is not approving the money required for the purchases.

In reply, the Minister said that the RHC has been upgraded to tehsil level hospital and the equipment will be bought soon. Iftikhar Chachar of PML-N also complained about the wrong answer given to his question. He said that contrary to the claims of the Minister, x-ray machines in the RHC at Baseerpura are not in working order. He urged the Minister to investigate the matter and present a report to the House.

She assured the House that the machines are in perfect order and operational; however, if her department is involved in giving false answers then an inquiry will be held. During the general discussion on the Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020, the members of the House congratulated the government on the passage of the bill. Later, the audit report of Disaster Management Organization Punjab for the year 2018-19 was presented in the House. The house was adjourned till Friday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020