Ambulances to offer cardiac care
The caretaker Punjab government will allocate Rs300 million for equipping 800 ambulances with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment to enhance cardiac emergency response.
Addressing a passing-out parade of rescuers at the Emergency Services Academy on Thursday, Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi highlighted that every fourth patient in the country faced heart problems. He also emphasised the importance of the AED equipment.
Commending the internationally recognised training provided at the academy, he urged the youth to take pride in their qualification.
Praising the institution for training 24,000 rescuers, with a special focus on those from other provinces, he commended the Rescue 1122 service for its exemplary performance recently in Turkey.
The caretaker CM said 800 modern ambulances equipped with advanced medical facilities, including ventilators, had been deployed across Punjab.
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Emergency Services Academy Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer administered oath to the trained rescuers.
The caretaker CM witnessed rescue drills, including swimming, equipment use and a symbolic descent from a fire tower. He also awarded shields and prizes to those excelling in the training.
Meanwhile, a request to delay the deadline for completion of construction work of the emergency department of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology till January 31 from December 31 was rejected by Caretaker Minister Dr Javed Akram on Thursday.
Presiding over a meeting at the PIC, he ordered completion of the project on time. He said the administration of the PIC had earlier been instructed to expedite the work.
He said the institution would be made paperless with the help of the Punjab Information Technology Board. A meeting of the PIC board will be called to discuss the issues.
Strict notice was taken of a delay in the treatment of patients in the emergency department.
Dr Akram said he had ordered immediate arrangement of a pacemaker required for an admitted patient.
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Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi also inspected the final stages of work to upgrade the Mayo Hospital's emergency block.
He announced that the upgraded emergency block would open in early January.
Facilitation centres
During a surprise visit to the facilitation centre of the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), the caretaker CM found visiting students perturbed over the absence of several staff members before a break.
He noticed multiple counters unmanned and listened to students’ complaints in this regard.
Declaring the absence of the staff unacceptable, Naqvi said online availability of BISE services would spare students the need to visit the office.
He ordered immediate transfer of all the officials found absent during office hours and called for offering all facilities for students online within a week.
The caretaker CM also visited a newly established business facilitation centre. More centres would be set up in Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan, he said on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2023.