Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi launched healthcare projects worth more than 15 billion rupees during a ceremony held at CM’s office on Tuesday.
The CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of numerous projects and stated that the provision of 26 billion rupees to improve health facilities was a record. He added that work had been started for providing quality healthcare facilities to the people. He said a Cyberknife machine was being provided to Nishtar Medical University Multan with Rs.1.20 billion. Allied Hospital Faisalabad was provided with 1.25 billion rupees to treat cancer patients with a linear accelerator machine, he said. A linear accelerator machine would also be installed for cancer patients in Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital Gujrat at 1.30 billion rupees, he added.
The CM informed that a new cardiology hospital would be built along with the provision of modern machinery in cardiology hospitals in Punjab. Meanwhile, the Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad was being upgraded with 200 additional beds for five billion rupees, he said and added that gamma camera electrophysiology equipment and transit time flowmeter were being provided for heart patients as well. The land had been acquired for the expansion of the Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad for Rs.385 million, he cited. He said that a pharmacy was being established in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore to supply medicines to the patients. A CT angiography machine and a gamma camera (thallium scan) were being installed in the Institute of Cardiology Lahore with 50 crores. Alongside this, the Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema Institute of Cardiology was being established in Sargodha with 6 billion rupees. He said that CT angiography machine and gamma camera (thallium scan) were being provided at Chaudhry Parvez Elahi Institute of Cardiology in Bahawalpur at a cost of Rs.700 million. Mother and child block of 200 beds was being made functional at Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore at a cost of Rs.5 billion, he further said.
Rs.500 million had been allocated to acquire land for the children’s hospital in Gujrat, the CM said and added that a modern radiotherapy unit was being established in Children’s Hospital Lahore with 2 billion rupees. A medicine store was being constructed in Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital Gujrat with 390 million rupees, he added. Modern operation theatres, a 10-bed ICU and a laundry would also be constructed in Gujrat Teaching Hospital.
The CM said that the old block of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore would be upgraded at a cost of 200 million rupees. Residential flats would also be constructed for Ganga Ram Hospital’s supervisory staff. He said that Bashir Ahmad Auditorium had been built in Punjab Institute of Neurosciences with 5 crores rupees while the scope of the Punjab Thalassemia Program was also being expanded and 346 million rupees had been allocated for this purpose.
The government had worked at a fast pace to develop the health sector on modern lines for 4 months, he said. He felicitated the Provincial Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and her team for providing quality health facilities.
Earlier, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Dept Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi gave a briefing about health projects.
Provincial Advisor Aamir Saeed Raan, Rana Shahbaz Ahmad MPA, Principal Secretary to CM Muhammad Khan Bhatti, former president Bank of Punjab Hamesh Khan, secretary information, VC University of Child Health Sciences Dr Masood Sadiq, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Dr Nadeem Hafeez Butt, MS General Hospital Dr Khalid Bin Aslam, ED Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Dr Khalid Mahmood, Dr Asif Bashir, Principal Fatima Jinnah Medical College, ED Chaudhry Parvez Elahi Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad Dr Waheed, MS Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital Gujrat Dr Abid Ghauri, ED PIC Lahore Dr Bilal Mohyuddin and others were also present. Boxer Amir Khan met Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, former federal minister Moonis Elahi and Hussain Elahi MNA at the Chief Minister’s Office. The CM announced to set up a boxing arena and gym in Punjab and termed Amir Khan as the pride of Pakistan who is bringing laurels home.
