Provision of quality health facilities to the masses is our priority:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that provision of modern and latest treatment facilities to the masses is the top priority of Punjab government and billions of rupees are being spent for providing best treatment facilities to the people of the province. He said that provision of free medicines in the hospitals has been ensured and new hospitals have been constructed for providing best treatment facilities to the people whereas treatment facilities have been further improved for upgrading the hospitals in various districts.
He said that Punjab government is endeavoring for providing quality and modern medical facilities to the people and improving health sector for which record budget has been allocated. He said that 410 beds hospital in Bahawalpur and 300 beds hospital in Shahdara are at the final stages of completion and these hospitals would soon be made functional.

He was presiding over a high level meeting for reviewing the pace of implementation on various programmes of health sector at Model Town, here today. Special Assistant on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, Members Assembly Hanif Abbasi, Muhammad Riaz Malik, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq Dhillon, Chairman Planning and Development, Secretaries of Health and Information departments, Chief Executive Officer Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and other concerned officials were present in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that like education, every person of the society has equal right over the best facilities of health and Punjab government is providing this right to them. He said that due to the completion of 410 beds hospital in Bahawalpur, best and modern treatment facilities would become available to the people of south Punjab. He directed the concerned authorities to complete the remaining work of Bahawalpur Hospital and the process of purchase of equipment and machinery at the earliest. He said that 300 beds hospital in Shahdara is being constructed on the longstanding demand of the people of the area and after its completion, modern and latest treatment facilities would be available to thousands of people of the area. He said that the hospital being constructed in Shahdara would become functional in March.

The Chief Minister directed that the work of up-gradation of District Headquarters Hospital Sargodha be completed at the earliest and there should be no further delay in its up-gradation. He further directed that the pending works of District Headquarters Hospital Sargodha should be completed immediately. Shahbaz Sharif said that latest diagnostic machinery has been installed in modern Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.75 billions and facilities of international standard for open heart surgery, angiography and treatment of cardiac diseases as well as specialist doctors and trained medical staff have been provided. He said that cardiac surgery has been started in state-of-the-art Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and besides Rawalpindi, patients of other areas of the country suffering from cardiac diseases will also benefit from it. He directed that the patients’ health and provision of health facilities to them be given priority and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology should be one of the best hospitals of the country.

The Chief Minister further directed that the model of Punjab Institute of Cardiology with regard to providing treatment to the poor and deserving patients should be replicated in Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. He directed that Board of Management of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology be constituted at the earliest. Secretary Health informed the meeting about the progress on various ongoing programmes of health sector. He told that the process of transparent purchase of modern machinery for the newly constructed hospitals is continuing and recruitment of capable persons on merit has been ensured.