Students to undergo drug screening

Caretaker CM orders crackdown against narcotics dealers

LAHORE:

Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a crackdown against drug-dealers in Punjab.

He was presiding over a meeting in which it was decided that random drug screening of students in the educational institutions would be carried out

The caretaker chief minister directed the capital city police officer, higher education and primary and secondary healthcare secretaries, and Lahore division commissioner to prepare a comprehensive plan with regard to screening of students.

Mohsin Naqvi said effective steps would be taken under a joint strategy to save the new generation from narcotics.

He highlighted that the collaboration between the institutions concerned of the Punjab government and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) would be improved.

The caretaker CM called for steps to prevent Ice addiction and asserted that comprehensive action should be taken to curb the supply and online availability of the drug.

He said strict action would have to be taken forthwith to save the educational institutions from narcotics. He underscored that it was a national and social responsibility to save the new generation from narcotics addiction.

A strategy to stop narcotics peddling and saving the new generation from the scourge was reviewed during the meeting.

The caretaker chief minister also presided over a meeting in which measures to provide quality healthcare facilities to the people of the province were reviewed. He directed the officials concerned to improve the facilities, underscoring that quality and free treatment was the right of every needy patient. He said treatment and other essential facilities in government hospitals should be improved at the earliest.

Mohsin Naqvi stated that the possibility of providing financial assistance to the impecunious patients after transplant would also be reviewed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2023.