Cabinet panel approves four water filtration plants in Cholistan

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister and Chairman Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management Khawaja Salman Rafique has approved four reverse osmosis water filtration plants for Cholistan to address the region’s drinking water needs.

He made the announcement while presiding over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management at the PDMA Head Office on Friday. The meeting reviewed multiple disaster preparedness and mitigation initiatives.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia presented a four-point agenda. The first item included a comprehensive briefing on six schemes focused on flood protection and river erosion. The committee approved Rs550 million for four key schemes aimed at preventing riverbank erosion.

The meeting also approved an agreement with the Urban Unit for the survey and mapping of populations in riverine areas. In the first phase, detailed surveys will be conducted along the Indus River and hill torrents to identify vulnerable communities. Further approvals included strengthening the Walewala Dam on the Sutlej River in Kasur district and the construction of a protective dam in Tehsil Karor to curb river erosion in Layyah.

Additionally, a scheme to protect the Chenab River from Bela Sarban to Head Trimo in District Jhang was sanctioned, along with a directive for a model study to prevent erosion in Tehsil Kot Momin and Qadirabad Block Link Circle.

The Wasa director general briefed the committee on the province-wide de-silting campaign, conducted in three phases. The committee directed that de-silting must be completed before the onset of the monsoon season. Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners across Punjab have been instructed to supervise the process. PDMA DG also gave a detailed presentation on measures being taken to mitigate the risks of drought and potential heat waves in Cholistan. Additional Chief Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar and Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabeel Javed were present during the meeting. Commissioners of Lahore, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Sargodha,

and Bahawalpur attended via video link, along with Deputy Commissioners from Kasur, Layyah, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, and Rajanpur. Officials from Irrigation, Local Government, Housing and Urban Development, Livestock, Education, Finance, Emergency Services Department, and Punjab Police also participated in the session.

Minister vows to improve hospital services

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has announced that the queue management system is being fully activated in government hospitals across the province to streamline patient flow and improve service delivery.

During his visit to the Government Lady Aitchison Hospital here Friday, the minister inspected various wards, interacted with patients, and assessed the quality of medical services being provided.

He emphasised the importance of cleanliness and directed hospital administration to ensure the completion of outsourced staff recruitment for sanitation. Expressing strong displeasure over the non-payment of full salaries to outsourced employees, Khawaja Salman Rafique instructed immediate corrective measures. He also reprimanded the hospital accountant for failing to update records related to the Universal Health Insurance programme and directed the pharmacist to ensure timely Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) verification of medicines.

The minister ordered the auctioning of non-functional and unusable equipment and directed hospital management to display lists of available medicines in every ward.He also instructed staff to make regular announcements in emergency wards and OPDs about the availability of medicines and other services. ‘We are continuously visiting government hospitals and monitoring the situation. In line with CM’s vision, our goal is to create better healthcare facilities for the public,’ said Khawaja Salman Rafique. He further stressed that Heads of Departments (HODs) must remain present in their departments, and Medical Superintendents (MSs) should actively work to improve patient care. The minister reaffirmed that uninterrupted medical services are being provided in public hospitals across Punjab.