In session: Punjab hospitals short of ventilators, PA told

Only 12 of 21 ventilators functional in Rawalpindi hospitals, PTI lawmaker says

LAHORE: Public hospitals across the province face a shortage of ventilators. The government will purchase new ventilators and upgrade medical equipment in public hospitals, Parliamentary Secretary in Provincial Assembly Khawaja Imran Nazir told the House on Thursday.

Nazir was responding to Asif Mehmood of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) who had said that only 12 of 21 ventilators in Rawalpindi hospitals were functional.

Nazir said the Health Department was working on a system with the Punjab Information Technology Board which would automatically update the department about damaged or other out-of-order machinery at the hospitals.

Earlier, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, speaking on a call attention notice, told the House that the main accused in the killing of MPA Chaudhary Shamshad had been killed in a raid. He said two facilitators had been arrested.

“Tarar Patwari evaded arrest in one of the raids. Later, police gathered information about the whereabouts of Patwari and raided one of his hideouts.”

He said Patwari and his accomplices had opened fire on the police team. He said the man had been gunned down in the exchange.

Sanaullah said Patwari had links with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“This is why the TTP claimed responsibility for the MPA’s murder. It was an attempt to divert police investigation,” the law minister said.

He praised the police officers for a successful operation. Other members and the Speaker also commended police for the job.

On another call attention notice submitted by Inamullah Niazi about a rape case in Mianwali, the law minister said the culprits would be arrested and justice would be ensured.

He said the Forensic Laboratory set up in the Punjab was of international standards and its DNA reports were credible.

“No criminal can get away by faking the results because forensic reports cannot be altered,” he said.

He said nine suspects in the case had been arrested.

Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal sent MPA Farzana Nazir out of the House for five minutes for causing a disturbance. When she returned to the House, Sher Ali Gorchani had assumed the Speaker’s chair.

During the question hour, Parliamentary Secretary on Information and Culture Rana Arshad told the House that the government would organise a Sohna Punjab Festival at the nine divisional headquarters of the province.

He said Punjab’s culture and traditions would be highlighted in the festival.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Waseem Akther complained of lack of transparency in distribution of gunny bags.

He said middlemen were purchasing wheat at low prices so that the farmers were not benefitting from the support price set by the government. He requested the government look into this.

The session was adjourned till Friday morning after an Opposition member pointed out lack of quorum.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2016.