Past rulers did not meet health needs of growing population: Punjab CM Usman Buzdar

LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar gave approval to include the project of 1000-bed hospital on Ferozpur Road in Annual Development Programme.

He directed for resolving the issues related to transfer of land allocated for the hospital at the earliest and said the general hospital is being constructed in Lahore after 30 years.

He said rulers of previous governments did not bother to increase health amenities keeping in view the increasing population of the provincial metropolis.

Every citizen of Punjab will be provided Sehat Insaf Card by 2021 as it is the commitment of the incumbent government to provide health coverage to its every citizen, the CM said.

The 47th meeting of Cabinet Standing Committee for Finance & Development was held under the chair of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at CM’s Office on Saturday which gave approval to numerous development projects of public welfare.

The meeting gave approval of setting up Panagahs in all divisional headquarters besides provincial metropolis with the cooperation of Bait-ul-Maal. In-principle approval was given to construct emergency and OPD block in teaching hospital DG Khan which will cost Rs 2 billion.

The chief minister directed the health department to redress matters of setting up emergency and OPD block at the earliest.

The meeting decided in-principle to revamp 122-kilometre long road from Chokiwala (N-55) tehsil Taunsa to N-70 (Chappar/Balochistan) via Zain, Barthi and Kharar Buzdar at a sum of Rs9 billion.

The road from Chokiwala to Zain will be constructed by the Punjab government with its own resources while the federal government will be requested to provide funds for the construction of the rest of the portion. The construction of this road will facilitate transportation between Punjab and Balochistan and reduce the distance.

The meeting also approved the sewerage work of urban road package for PP-289 DG Khan city and decided to establish Punjab House in Gwadar to be constructed by Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab.

The meeting also approved the revamping of four important roads of Faisalabad including Samundri road, Tandiawala road, Jaranwala road and Jhang road under Chief Minister’s Development Package for Faisalabad.

Procurement of three armoured carrier vehicle for the riverine area of Southern Punjab was approved in the meeting. The meeting approved to include irrigation departments projects in its ADP under Vohawa development package.

This scheme includes water supply, filtration plants, hand pumps and family park.

The CM directed for making functional non-operational water supply schemes besides launching new schemes. He said delay in these schemes will not be tolerated as people are longing for clean drinking water and departments are making unnecessary delay without any reason.

He directed that the departments concerned should resolve all affairs and start working on the schemes.

The meeting also gave approval of revamping of seven roads as well as up-gradation of rural health centre (RHU) of Vohawa.

The CM said people will not have to go to Taunsa or DG Khan for the treatment after the up-gradation of RHU.

The health department will further improve the medical facilities in rural health centres, he added.

Grant of Rs10 lac for Taunsa Press Club was also approved in the meeting besides approving the issuance of necessary funds for holding 16th Cholistan Desert Rally 2021 and Thal Desert Rally 2020.

Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal, Adviser Dr Salman Shah, Secretary Housing, Principal Secretary to CM, Chairman P&D, Secretary Finance, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and secretaries of departments concerned were present.