CM pledges modern health facilities for all

Accuses opposition of politicising dengue crisis after Covid-19

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar vowed on Saturday to improve the services in government hospitals of underdeveloped areas and ensure that every patient could avail modern healthcare facilities.

While presiding over a meeting, he ordered the officials concerned to take every possible step for providing quality healthcare facilities to the people of the province.

The chief minister accused former rulers of intentionally ignoring backward areas in providing health services. He said the incumbent government had adopted a composite policy in this regard. Nishtar-II Hospital is being established in Multan, Sheikh Zaid Hospital-II in Rahim Yar Khan and an Institute of Cardiology in Dera Ghazi Khan.

He said that for the first time in the history of Punjab, Mother & Child Hospitals are being established in remote and backward areas of the province. He said the hospitals were of great importance for ensuring the health of mothers and infants. The chief minister said that no such project could be initiated by the previous governments, which resulted in an increase in the maternal mortality rate.

He said the government has introduced revolutionary reforms in the health sector that were aimed at providing quality healthcare facilities to the people in the hospitals.

During the past three years, the health budget was increased by 118 per cent, he asserted.

Chief Minister Buzdar also accused the opposition of attempting political point scoring on the dengue crisis after the coronavirus pandemic issue. He termed the move reflective of a callous attitude.

He said doing politics in current circumstances was condemnable because it was the time to serve ailing humanity.

Usman Buzdar said elements in the opposition had a lust for power and their agenda was to protect their vested personal interests. He said the attitude of opposition parties in the present circumstances was very disappointing. “Pakistanis will never forgive the opposition elements over this irresponsible negative behaviour,” the CM concluded.

Meanwhile, former world squash champion Jan Sher Khan called on the CM where both of them agreed to hold a mega event of the sport in Punjab.

Buzdar said the tournament would be organised along with the Horse and Cattle Show. He said coaching academies would be established at the divisional level, while squash courts were being set up in the Tehsil sports complexes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2021.