G-B signs MoU with hospitals for free treatment of needy patients

Facility isn't for parliamentarians or senior government officials, says CM Hafeez-ur-Rehman


Shabbir Mir February 01, 2020
Facility isn't for parliamentarians or senior government officials, says CM Hafeez-ur-Rehman. PHOTO: EXPRESS

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with different hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to ensure free treatment of underprivileged patients.

The MoU was signed on Saturday in a ceremony held at G-B House in the federal capital which was attended by Chief Minister Hafeez-ur-Rehman, speaker and deputy speaker of the G-B assembly and heads of the hospitals.

"This facility isn't for parliamentarians or senior government officials," Rehman said while addressing the ceremony. "Its for poor and deserving people only," he added.

He said a committee would evaluate and decide as to who can avail the facility.

Rehman said when he assumed charge of the region, G-B's annual health budget was only Rs50 million but his government raised it to Rs600 million per year.

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The chief minister said the region's all 60,000 government employees would be provided health insurance and health cards.

"We will be the first government to do this for employees," he said.

CM Rehman said cancer and cardiac hospitals were also being constructed in the region which he said would enable the residents to receive treatment at home.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Shifa International Hospital, Quaid-e-Azam Hospital and Pakistan Atomic Energy Hospital signed the agreement with the G-B government.

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