CM Usman Buzdar lays foundation of 600-bed mother, child hospital

LAHORE :Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar laid the foundation stone of 600-bed mother and child hospital at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Monday.

The 10-storey building will be completed in two years with an amount of Rs4 billion while Rs3 billion would be spent on the latest healthcare equipment. Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister termed it a historic occasion as Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is being expanded after a gap of 77 years. This hospital will be the most modern medical facility, having 13 operation theatres, and special attention will also be paid to medical research, he added.

"We are gathered at a historical educational institution where Fatima Jinnah Medical University, attributed to the mother of the nation, is on one side while Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, being a high example of service to humanity, is on the other side” said the CM. He said the government provided Rs277 billion for the health sector in the current budget. Meanwhile, Rs45 billion was being spent on new healthcare projects in the province, he added. The chief minister said that mother & child hospitals were being established in Bahawalnagar, Sialkot, Mianwali, Attock, Rajanpur, Layyah and Muzaffargarh Districts, adding that nursing colleges would also be established there. Work has already been started on Nishtar Hospital-II project in Multan while the foundation stone of the institute of cardiology will be laid in DG Khan next month. He said that Sheikh Zayed Hospital-II project would be launched in Rahim Yar Khan from next financial year. He announced establishing a new cardiac hospital in Lahore adding that spadework has already been started. The government will also start work for the establishment of 500-bed institute of blood diseases in Lahore from next financial year as there is no such institution in the public sector, he added. It is sheer unluck that no government ever thought about setting up an institute of blood diseases. There is an institute to treat only 180 patients in Pakistan but I am of the opinion that we should have an institution to treat 180,000 patients, he added.

Usman Buzdar said that distribution of Sehat Insaf Cards had been completed in all the districts of the province. As a result, 3.5 crore deserving people are getting free treatment facilities. I visited 32 districts to distribute Sehat Insaf Cards as the health sector is government's priority, he maintained.

I regularly review progress on health sector projects and I congratulate health minister and her team as they are doing a very good job. The chief minister said that 32,000 health professionals, including 12,000 doctors, had been recruited on merit by this government. He also announced linking Samanabad Hospital with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on the request of Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal.

He announced providing land for Fatima Jinnah Medical University campus and added that provision of land in Knowledge Park would be examined. I regularly inspect hospitals during my visits to different districts and it is sanguine that doctors’ attendance has reached 95 per cent in BHUs. Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid termed the arrival of the chief minister a good omen which has rejuvenated them. No past government ever gave attention to utilise this piece of land but Usman Buzdar spearheaded this project.

Cabinet meeting: Usman Buzdar has called the 26th meeting of the provincial cabinet at his office today (Tuesday) to discuss the five-point agenda. Provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and secretaries concerned will attend the meeting.