Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has accorded approval to the launch of motorbikes ambulance service in all the districts of the province of Punjab in a phased manner.
This decision was taken in the 20th meeting of the Punjab Emergency Council (PEC) in which approval was also accorded for the procurement of new ambulances.
The chief minister directed to take immediate steps to overcome the shortage of ambulances in rescue emergency services. The in-principle approval of granting special stipends to rescuers, during their training in emergency services academy, was also given. Appointment of Dr Rizwan Naseer as DG Punjab Emergency Services Academy was approved and till the appointment of the new DG, an additional charge will remain with Dr Rizwan Naseer.
The chief minister also directed to early complete the launch of rescue 1122 at tehsil level.
The meeting reviewed different matters pertaining to rescuers' employment including proposals of extending financial aid and insurance of rescuers who died during service.
While giving in-principle approval of providing financial aid to the rescuers, the matter was linked with the consent of finance and regulations departments. A special committee constituted under the chair of law minister Raja Basharat will submit final recommendations in this regard.
Talking on this occasion, Usman Buzdar said that implementation of safety code in the construction of high-rise buildings should be ensured along with the formulation of a foolproof system of patients' shifting. SOPs should be immediately devised and unnecessary delay in purchase of ambulances and other types of equipment should be eliminated, he added.
The CM Usman Buzdar also presided over the 27th meeting of Punjab Safe Cities Authority at his office here on Wednesday in which decision was made to start Punjab Safe City Project in Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa. These projects would be launched under the annual development programme, instead of public-private partnership mode.
The meeting decided to link Lahore Ring Road with safe cities project for the installation of CCTV cameras. Release of funds for dealing with operational matters of Lahore Safe City Project was also approved and chief minister directed to devise a business model for revenue generation along-with the direction to early complete CCTV cameras' installation in Chunian tehsil.
The COO of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority informed the participants of the meeting that PC-I has been approved and the prequalification process has also been started for the launch of safe cities project in DG Khan and Taunsa. The scope of Lahore Safe City Project has been expanded to Shahdara Chowk and latest cameras have been installed at Thokar Niaz Baig while cameras' installation is in process at other entry & exit points of the provincial metropolis. Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Sumera Ahmed MPA, IG Police, Chairman P&D, ACS (Home), provincial secretaries and others attended the meeting.
Moreover, the CM Usman Buzdar has given DG Khan Division the status of a separate region of prisons department while around Rs 3.30 billion were being spent on different jails' repair & maintenance schemes.
It may be added that the chief minister visited different jails during his field visits and announced to introduce reforms for bringing administrative improvements.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019