Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting of Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department at his office to review departmental performance and the progress made on mega health projects. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister stressed that every possible effort will be made for the betterment of the health sector. He pointed out that 27 percent increase has been made in the health sector budget along with starting of several health projects in far-flung areas. He regretted that the backward areas were also healthwise neglected in the past but the PTI government is following the policy of composite development in every sector. He directed that Nishtar Hospital-2 project in Multan should be completed soon and announced that he would visit hospital site during his next visit to Multan district. This hospital is being built with an amount of around eight billion rupees. The chief minister directed that construction work of the hospital building should be completed by next year adding that matters about Institute of Cardiology DG Khan should be settled as soon as possible. Residences for doctors and other staff will also be constructed in this cardiology institute. He added that a new building of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan will be constructed with an amount of around six billion rupees. He directed to expedite the speed of work on this project and added that matters about hospital building in Gujranwala should also be completed soon. Alongside, a plan should be devised for the establishment of Institute of Blood Diseases, he added. The emergency of services hospital will be upgraded as a state-of-the-art facility and Punjab government will provide required resources in this regard.
Usman Buzdar said that hospitals will be transformed as rehabilitation centres and patients will be provided with the best healthcare facilities. Improving the hospitals' conditions is a duty of the government and it wants to improve the standard of hospitals to such a level that foreign patients also come here for treatment, he added. The meeting was told that the contractor has been mobilized for Nishtar Hospital-2 project while 17 firms have submitted their pre-qualifications for DG Khan Institute of Cardiology project. Secretary SH&ME briefed about progress on ongoing health sector projects. Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, CEO Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab and others attended the meeting.