Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday said that 27 percent increase has been made in the health sector budget apart from starting several health projects in far-flung areas of the province.
"In the past, backward areas were neglected with regard to health facilities but the PTI government is following the policy of composite development in every sector," the CM said while chairing a meeting of Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department at his office, to review departmental performance and the progress made on mega health projects.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister stressed that every possible effort will be made for the betterment of health sector. He directed that Nishtar Hospital-II project in Multan should be completed soon and announced that he would visit hospital site during his next visit to Multan district. This hospital is being built with an amount of around Rs8 billion, he added.
The Chief Minister directed that construction work of the hospital building should be completed by next year adding that matters about Institute of Cardiology DG Khan should be settled as soon as possible.
He added that a new building of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan will be constructed with an amount of around Rs6 billion. He directed to expedite the speed of work on this project and added that matters about hospital building in Gujranwala should also be completed soon. Alongside, a plan should be devised for the establishment of Institute of Blood Diseases, he added. The emergency of services hospital will be upgraded as a state-of-the-art facility and the Punjab government will provide required resources in this regard.
Usman Buzdar said that hospitals will be transformed as rehabilitation centres and patients will be provided with the best healthcare facilities. Improving the hospitals' conditions is a duty of the government and it wants to improve the standard of hospitals to such a level that foreign patients also come here for treatment, he added.
The meeting was told that the contractor has been mobilized for Nishtar Hospital-II project while 17 firms have submitted their pre-qualifications for DG Khan Institute of Cardiology project. Secretary SH&ME briefed about progress on ongoing health sector projects. Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, CEO Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab and others attended the meeting.
Moreover, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan has thanked Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar for extending cooperation to launch rescue services in Balochistan province.
In a letter, Jam Kamal Khan said that the Punjab government extended significant support for the launch of rescue services in Balochistan and we appreciate this cooperation of Punjab government led by you. Launch of rescue services in Balochistan was made possible only due to the assistance of Punjab government and we are thankful to you as well as Punjab government for this exemplary cooperation, he wrote. Our partnership with Punjab would be further strengthened in future, he added.
Usman Buzdar said that serving the people of Balochistan is our responsibility as well as a duty and Balochistan and other provinces would be moved together in the journey of development. We all will have to work hard for the progress and prosperity of a new Pakistan, he added.