LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday gave the approval to include five projects worth Rs 6.58 billion of the health sector in Annual Development Programme 2021-22.

As per the details shared by the government’s spokesperson, on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, the Cabinet Standing Committee for Finance and Development included the project of setting up of University of Child Health Sciences Lahore at a cost of Rs 4.16 billion in the Annual Development Programme 2021-22, which will ensure quality healthcare facilities for the children.

It will be a state-of-the-art institution for the treatment of children where modern facilities of diagnosis, treatment besides promoting the research and development of paediatric diseases would be ensured.

Similarly, the government has also approved to set up Dentistry College in Rawalpindi at a cost of Rs 240 million and a dental college in Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur at the cost of Rs 240 million, and these projects have also been included in ADP.

Moreover, approval was also given for the procurement of a Linear Accelerator equipped with necessary facilities for the Oncology department in Mayo Hospital at a cost of Rs 840 million; and an MRI and CT scan for the radiology department of General Hospital, which will cost Rs 500 million.

Commenting on the projects, the Chief Minister said that the provision of quality healthcare facilities to the people is the top priority of the incumbent government. ‘The government during the last three years has substantially increased the budget for the health sector besides ensuring quality healthcare facilities to the remote areas of the province,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021