Punjab rolls out deceased transport service

CM launches service in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched Pakistan's first government-run deceased transportation service by handing over keys of vehicles for the facility to authorities in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan after inspecting them.

The chief minister met rescue personnel, appreciated their services and directed them to perform their duties with devotion. In the first phase, the service will provide free-of-cost and dignified transfer of the deceased from government hospitals to their homes in Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi.

By June, the scope of the service will be gradually extended to every tehsil of Punjab. A dedicated ambulance will be provided in each tehsil for the purpose.

Speaking on the occasion of launching the service. The chief minister said it was unfortunate that private transporters charged excessive fares from families in case of death at hospitals. "In the moment of grief of losing a loved one, we are with you and will remain with you," she said, adding that rescue personnel should not accept any payment even if offered by the bereaved families.

Provincial Minister khwaja Salman Rafique said the service had been initially launched within city limits in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan. He added that private ambulances would be arranged in the second phase for other cities.

According to a briefing, the service can be accessed by calling 1122 for transporting the deceased from hospital to home, and a desk will be set up in every government hospital for the purpose.

Trained drivers in uniform will be available round the clock. Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer said the service would also facilitate the transfer of bodies to hospital morgues where required. He added that the service would be monitored through a smart rescue management and dispatch system.