Maryam launches 3 mega health projects

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has inaugurated the Clinic-on-Wheels project at the Lahore Fort Alamgiri Gate.

She reviewed provision of medicines at the Clinic-on-Wheels and inspected the ultrasound van and rural ambulance being provided for women. She announced an additional 100 Rural Ambulance Service (1034) for rural areas. She made a brief journey by riding the Clinic-on-Wheels van and handed over a symbolic key to Health Department officials. She also inaugurated the Doctor at Every Health Centre project. She was informed that 200 Clinics-on-Wheels had been established for the residents of semi-urban and Kutchi Abadis.

The Clinic-on-Wheel will be staffed by doctors, LHVs and vaccinators. Free medicines and ultrasound facilities will also be provided.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, she said: “She is thankful that Allah Almighty has given her success in achieving another goal in the health sector. I commend both the Health minister and the secretary Health along with their team. During the last five years whatever Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif did was unfortunately reversed. I am happy that a health facility is being taken to the doorstep of people. It is not just a vehicle but a whole clinic. The program was started so that the poor do not have to go to hospitals for minor ailments. I pay tribute to Shehbaz Sharif for launching the Clinic-on-Wheels programme. As many as 200 Clinics-on-Wheel have been added to this programme. The Clinic-on-Wheels will have vaccination, antenatal care facilities, malaria, diabetes and paediatric treatment facilities. Four million people will receive medical facilities from the Clinics-on-Wheels. A field hospital project has also been launched to provide health facilities to people at their doorsteps. Two to three thousand patients are provided free treatment in the field hospitals.”

She said the Punjab government added 100 ambulances to the ambulance service. Ambulances will provide free service to pick and drop pregnant women. More than 500 ambulances were already doing this. “We are introducing a comprehensive program for the presence of doctors in government hospitals, BHUs and RHCs. There will not be a single government health facility in Punjab where a doctor is not available. We are overcoming the shortage of nurses and paramedical staff. We are introducing a new policy under which local doctors will be given a priority for getting jobs in hospitals. We are hiring 500 consultants for the Punjab government’s health centres. The vehicles and containers can be used for treatment and not for protests. I would like to congratulate the doctors of Jinnah Hospital for undertaking a child’s successful kidney transplant. It has been decided that cardiac treatment facilities along with paediatric treatment facilities will be provided in every district of Punjab. In the first phase, state-of-the-art cardiology facilities are being established in eight districts of Punjab. It is difficult to transport heart patients from one city to another. I am striving to launch a free insulin program in Punjab. I wish to increase the service program at your doorstep on a daily basis.”

Senator Pervez Rasheed, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari, Provincial Minister P&SHC Khawaja Imran Nazir, Provincial Minister SHC&ME Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Provincial Minister for Food Bilal Yasin, assembly members Aoun Chaudhry, Sania Ashiq, Ghazali Butt, secretaries, CCPO, CTO and other officers were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Maryam met International Finance Corporation (IFC) Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan Zeeshan Ahmed Sheikh. Matters pertaining to private sector investment, business plans along with activating private sector investment in grain storage were discussed. Other projects relating to provision of financial services to women and small entrepreneurs were also discussed. IFC services were lauded for enhancing employment, business activities with the support of private investor.

Maryam said: “We would welcome investment in green energy, agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing and health sectors. The IFC’s interest in providing working capital to farmers is welcoming. The IFC cooperation for the improvement of technological, digital infrastructure, development of pharmaceutical sector and export-oriented industries is required.”

Zeeshan said: “As a World Bank Group member, the IFC is providing appreciable services in the business infrastructure development. Collaborations are ongoing in Punjab to improve food security and provision of modern facilities for the storage of grain. The IFC makes financial services more accessible to deprived communities, including women and small entrepreneurs. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has been active in providing assistance for the development of Pakistan for the last many years.”

Pervez Rasheed and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb were present in the meeting.

Satellite internet: “A new era of digital transformation in education has started in Pakistan,” said Maryam while launching a pilot project for the provision of satellite internet in schools at the DPS Model Town, Lahore. She said: “Punjab is entering a digital era, because Pakistan can grow only by exploiting information and communication technology.”

An MoU to execute the project was signed between the UAE’s ADM Holding and the Education Department of the government of Punjab. Under the project, schools in Punjab will be linked to satellite internet in collaboration with the One Web NEOM and ADM Holding

Maryam said: “Students in rural and urban areas will benefit from satellite internet. The Punjab government will give laptops to students. Digital skills will help empower students and make them part of the digital economy.”

A delegation from the UAE headed by Sheikh Ahmad Dalmouk Al Maktoum was present at the ceremony. Maryam held a meeting with Sheikh Ahmed, a member of the royal family, in which issues related to the provision of satellite internet and digitization were discussed. The visiting delegation gave a briefing on the program of providing direct internet service from satellite in schools. He told Maryam: “The Schools Satellite Internet Project is for digital access of people in deprived areas. In the first phase, satellite internet is being provided to 5,000 schools across the country.

Pervaiz Rashid, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Ministers Azma Zahid Bukhari and Rana Sikandar Hayat also attended the meeting. Chief Secretary, Information Secretary and other relevant officers were present.

Knowledge economy: “The Punjab government is investing in the development of knowledge economy and ICT education,” said Maryam while chairing a meeting on higher education sector reforms in Punjab. She added: “Building an international standard university in every district and a college at the Tehsil level are among our goals.” She agreed to build new universities and colleges on a priority basis in backward districts. She said: “The school and higher education sector in Punjab needs a complete revamp.” She welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s declaration of “educational emergency” in the country. She highlighted: “We are giving 20,000 motorbikes to students across Punjab to promote higher education.”

Earlier, she got a briefing on the promotion of higher education in the province, laptop scheme and transport facilities for students. She was apprised that the budget of higher education remained high during the PMLN tenure. She was told that more than 6.5 lakh students were studying in private and public sector universities in Punjab. Out of them, 44% are boys while the remaining 56% are girls.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, Rana Sikandar Hayat and Azma Zahid Bukhari attended the meeting. The chief secretary, the secretary Higher Education and other relevant officers were present. The CM later visited the Mazar-e-Iqbal and recited Fateha.