Laying the foundation stone of 600-bed "Mother and Child Hospital" at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), here on Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said the government has allocated Rs 277 billion for the health sector in the current budget while Rs 45 billion are being spent on new healthcare projects in the province.

The 10-storey building will be completed in two years with an amount of Rs four billion while three billion rupees will be spent on the latest healthcare equipment.

Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said that Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is being expanded after a gap of 77 years and this hospital will be the most modern medical facility, having 13 operation theatres.

He stated that mother & child hospitals were being established in Bahawalnagar, Sialkot, Mianwali, Attock, Rajanpur, Layyah and Muzaffargarh districts while nursing colleges will also be established there.

Work has already been started on Nishtar Hospital-II project in Multan while the foundation stone of the Institute of Cardiology will be laid in DG Khan next month.

He added that Sheikh Zayed Hospital-II project will be launched in Rahim Yar Khan from next financial year.

He announced to establish a new cardiac hospital in Lahore adding that spadework has already been started. The government will also start work for the establishment of 500-bedded Institute of Blood Diseases in Lahore from next financial year as there is no such institution in the public sector, he added.