Governance: Don’t waste resources allocated for health, says Shahbaz

CM unhappy with arrangements at Hafizabad DHQ hospital

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday a record allocation had been made for public health in this year’s budget.

“The common man must benefit from billions of rupees being spent on the improvement of public health facilities,” the chief minister said during a visit to the Hafizabad district headquarters hospital. He visited the city without a protocol, says a handout.

Sharif inspected the operation theatre, surgical and general wards and the store room. He resented the fact that the hospital’s computer record and the register of medicines in stock were not up to date. Some patients complained that they had not been provided free medicines. The chief minister ordered the DCO to immediately refund the amounts spent by them. He said the situation was intolerable.

He ordered that the hospital administration ensure provision of best treatment facilities. He also expressed dissatisfaction with lack of water and adequate lighting at the hospital.

He said he was not satisfied with cleanliness arrangements. “Lack of such facilities puts a question mark on the hospital administration’s performance.”

The chief minister said the resources allocated for health facilities should not be wasted. He told the hospital staff that serving the ailing humanity was a noble cause and that he would continue to monitor the situation.

Land record

Later, Sharif visited a land records centre set up under the Land Record Information and Management System. He inquired the staff and the visitors about the utility of the system. He said the provincial government had achieved a milestone by launching a system for the computerisation of land record.

He said land record of 23,000 villages had been computerised to rid people of patwaris’ inefficiency. He said the system had helped curtail forgery, fraud, corruption and litigation. He said that ownership deeds could now be obtained in only 35 minutes and without bribing anyone.

The chief minister asked the staff to work hard to provide relief to people. He was informed that the service centre remained open to the public until 8pm.

Chief Minister’s Adviser on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, the primary and secondary health secretary and the Hafizabad DCO were present on the occasion.

Disaster management

The chief minister chaired a meeting on Monday to review proposals and measures aimed at dealing with natural calamities.

Sharif stressed the need for adopting modern ways to deal with such calamities so that losses could be minimised. “An effective response mechanism is of vital importance in this regard. There is a need for capacity-building at the institutions concerned. A trained human resource can play an effective role in disaster management.”

The chief minister called for effective liaison between the National Disaster Management Authority and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. Earlier, National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Maj Gen Asghar Nawaz briefed the meeting.

Foreign investment

A 20-member delegation of Chinese investors and businessmen, led by Communist Party of China Xijiang Province Secretary Huang Zhigang, also called on Sharif on Monday and discussed matters related to trade and business relations between the two provinces.

The Chinese investors expressed interest in investing in the industrial park project in the province.

American Consul General Zachary Harkenrider and Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Aminul Hasnaat also called on the chief minister on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2016.