Punjab Chief Minister inaugurates Patient Transfer System

Lahore : Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the provincial government has allocated a huge amount of Rs. 230 billion for health sector in the annual budget 2017-18.

Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of patient transfer system at Model Town, here today.

This amount is 15 percent of the total budget. It is satisfying that different steps taken for betterment of healthcare facilities are proving fruitful and the people are getting relief. Patient Transfer Service is another revolutionary step of the Punjab government, through which, patients from Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals and District Headquarters Hospitals are being shifted to large hospitals free of cost. Now, patients of Rawalpindi, Okara or from any other remote areas of the province can be easily shifted to any of Lahore’s large hospitals through this new system. No ambulance driver will ever dare to extort money or rent from the patients. The new, comprehensive system of patients’ transfer has banished the old one which had besmirched the good repute. Now, ambulances of rescue 1122 are providing services to timely take patients to the hospitals.

He told that special desks have been set up in hospitals which he had also witnessed in Chiniot hospital. Six mobile health units are providing healthcare facilities in remote hinterlands. 15 mobile hospitals are in the pipeline, while hundred more will also be acquired.

He said that provision of quality healthcare services is the prime agenda of his government; adding that all-out resources are being utilized for this purpose. New CT scan machines are being provided in 36 districts of the province. It would a unique system as the service provider company will also be responsible for its operation. The installation of these CT scan machines will provide 24 hours CT scan facility to the needy patients free of cost. The archaic system of the past has been done away with when the hospital staff used to dysfunction the CT scan machine so as to force the patients to get their CT scans done from the outside. Similarly, 40 tehsils and district headquarters hospitals are being revamped and they are being provided with latest healthcare facilities. Work on this project is in progress speedily which will start giving results from this year and the hospitals will give a refurbished look. Along with improvement in hospitals, the behavior of the paramedical staff is also being improved and the doctors are requested to come forward and heal the ailing humanity.

He said that hepatitis is a dangerous disease which is spreading in Punjab and other parts of the country. Punjab government has adopted effective strategy for the eradication of hepatitis disease. The hepatitis clinic is providing healthcare facilities to the patients in Lahore and such filter clinics will be established in the whole of the province in next few months.

He said that work is in progress speedily for the establishment of Pakistan Kidney & Liver Transplant Institute in the provincial capital to provide latest healthcare facilities to liver and kidney patients. By the grace of Almighty Allah, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate this project on Dec 25, this year. 250-bed Government Tayyip Erdogan Hospital is being established in Muzaffargarh by own resources of the Punjab government.

A trust headed by a saint-hearted Dr. Bari will operate this hospital. Similarly, kidney center in Multan, and the hospitals being established in the suburbs of the provincial capital, will also be run by this trust. This way, trend of healthy competition will set off between government and the trust operated hospitals. This way, the people will get quality healthcare services.

He said that experienced doctors, physicians and surgeons are available in public sector hospitals but it lacks the commitment to do something. He said that it is for the first time in the 70 year history of Pakistan that the patients are getting high quality medicines in the public sector hospitals and they have also verified this reality. The patients are getting same medicines which were used by the elite in hospitals.

He said that international standard drug testing lab is being established in Lahore. While, the drug testing lab has been made fully functional and foreign trained permanent staff has also been appointed there.

While replying to questions of the media-men, the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that indiscriminate accountability should be held; adding that accountability of one family is no accountability.

Replying to a question about the picture of Hussain Nawaz, the Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that this child was made to sit there. God forbid, he had not done corruption or usurped loans of billions of rupees. He had not plundered even a penny of anybody. If accountability has to be done, then across the board accountability of all should be done.

The loot and plunder in NICL, Bank of Punjab, Overseas Foundation, OGRA, Nandipur should be accounted for. And the people should be held accountable who have done this corruption.

The people should also be inquired who have deposited 60 million dollars in Swiss Banks and nobody is asking them. The son of the Prime Minister was made to sit as, God forbid, he has done corruption. He had not looted a penny of this country but on the other side, there are people who looted Punjab Bank and plundered overseas foundation and OGRA and also made corruption in Nandipur Project and deposited 60 million dollars of this poor nation in the Swiss banks.

There is no body to question them. Similarly, there are people who got their loans written off, plundered the money of the widows and bought aero planes and factories with the loot money, but nobody is asking them. I would humbly request the Apex Court to hold accountability and this accountability should be held without any discrimination. If it is not happened, then God forbid, the country cannot move further.

He said that all the people living in different provinces of the country want indiscriminate accountability and the plundered money should be recovered. Those who got their loans worth billions of rupees waived off are now giving lecture against corruption as if they are the only pious.

The Chief Minister said that many of TV anchors are good but a handful criticizes only for the sake of criticism. One of them said earlier that Shehbaz Sharif talks about setting up electricity projects. It is not metro bus that could be completed in 11 months. I don’t want to reply to criticism but the whole nation has witnessed that Bhikki Power Plant was completed in 18 months and Sahiwal Coal Power Plant was completed in 22 months.

Our projects speak about themselves that they are transparent and speedy. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, we do what we speak. Most transparent projects are being established with the speed of Muslim League-N in the country. Sahiwal Coal Power Project which was earlier scheduled to be completed on December 25, 2017 but this project was completed eight months earlier and the nation got the sweet reward eight months before and billions of rupees were also secured. Ludicrous discussions should not be held but the nation should be motivated that PML-N government has set up examples of hard work, transparency and honesty. All should be held accountable if accountability is required but victimization should be avoided. For the sake of country, activities of victimization should be done away with. Justice and accountability is that which is equal and all and sundry should be held accountable. Accountability of only one family is no justice.

He said that had JIT exercised its powers to bring back the looted money then perhaps this whole money would have been returned back. The accountability should be done, no doubt, we should be questioned but it should be remembered that this family has lost everything in 1972. Bhutto government had taken away everything from this family in the name of nationalization.

Then, during the tenures of Benazir and Musharraf, this family was made victim of their revenge, but the elements who looted the poor nation, they should also be held accountable. To another question, the Chief Minister said that the journalists are worth respected; but some of them indulge in undue criticism.

I still not forget the sentence of a journalist brother who said that Shahbaz Sharif is boasting, electricity projects are not metro bus that could be completed in 11 months. I would request this journalist brother to criticize but don’t make it a mockery. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif we have completed Bhikki Power Plant in 18 months and Sahiwal Coal Power Plant has been completed in a record period of 22 months. Don’t pat us but good work of our government should be encouraged.

You may have said this thing offhandedly because err is to human. But you have seen that Punjab government has completed Sahiwal Coal Power Plant in a record period of 22 months and it has start providing electricity to the people and this has also helped in enhancing trade and economic activities.

The benefits which were to be achieved after eight months have been achieved by completing this project eight months earlier. There were certain mischievous happenings in the 70 years history of the country but now a good thing has been done which should be highlighted. If there is any flaw or corruption has been done then strict accountability should be held but victimization should not be done.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif gave key of ambulance under Patient Transfer System to DG Rescue 1122 Dr. Rizwan Naseer. Provincial Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Health Secretaries, Assembly Members and concerned officials were present on the occasion.