Plan to upgrade health, education facilities in 44 cantonments

Rawalpindi : Dr. Saima Shah, Director Military Lands & Cantonments, Rawalpindi Saturday unveiled a plan to upgrade health and education facilities in 44 Cantonments area all over the country.

Dr. Saima Shah in a media briefing on Saturday said that Major General Syed Najam ul Hassan, Director General, Military Lands & Cantonments Rawalpindi has directed to complete the task as per master plan.

Sibtain Raza (CEO RCB) and Arslan Haider, Additional CEO, RCB, were also in attendance during the briefing. Dr. Shah told the media that in 1975 there were only 13 colleges, 47 high and 23 primary schools (totalling 124) while this number came on decline gradually resulting zero CB College in the Cantonments of the country. Similarly only 7 high, 12 middle and 14 primary schools were left.

Sitting DGML&C (Maj General Syed Najam ul Hassan) upon taking over his office issued stern instructions and floated a 3-year 2016-19 (phase wise) plan according to which 127 new colleges, 17 CB Girls High Schools, 3 CB Boys High Schools and 3 primary schools stands completed in phase-I, She said. “On the other hand in the current fiscal year 14 new colleges, 22 CB High (Boys/Girls) Schools will be constructed. Most significant aspect of the case is that education standards is to be targeted on the analogy of Army Public Schools (APS) of the motherland,” she added.

While talking on health matters, she elaborated that there were 8 cantonment general hospitals, 5 dispensaries plus Cantt general hospitals, 21 dispensaries in various cantonments where no health facility was available will be established.

She told the media that the master plan containing upgradation of health services has been planned and the work on the same is being executed swiftly. In the 1st phase of the plan Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore Cantonments are included wherein Cantt General Hospitals are being upgraded with the state-of- the-art health facilities and infrastructure.

Additionally, she told that CGH Rawalpindi is being upgraded with the generous grant from federal government to the tune of Rs570 Million. Parallel to this Rs115 million also allocated during the year 2017-18 while a five year allocation of grant of similar extent i.e. Rs115 million per year shall continuously be realized from Federal Government till 2022-23. Responding to a query, she told that the procurement of electro medical equipment for CGH is being made to a highly transparent procedure under PPRA Rules. Upon an another question she told that in recognition of the services of existing medical / paramedical staff of CGH and capacity building a comprehensive plan has been prepared which will be implemented phase wise.

She concluded with the final remarks regarding shortage of underground water in the Rawalpindi and Islamabad together with rapidly declining water level in Khanpur Dam (the only major source) based on this she requested to the residents of the Cantonments of Rawalpindi & Chaklala to co-operate and avoid wastage of water.