LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced 50 per cent increase in the emoluments of house job and postgraduate trainees in hospitals. Announcing a new package for the young doctors, the Chief Minister said the doctors should serve the ailing humanity as a challenge and perform their responsibilities with commitment and dedication. He also ordered setting up of a high-level committee for formulating recommendations for provision of medical facilities to the common man, ensuring attendance of doctors and paramedical staff in hospitals, availability of medicines and improvement of sanitary conditions in hospitals. He was talking to a 48-member delegation of young doctors at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Saturday. During the meeting, which lasted more than three hours, matters regarding uplift of health sector and treatment of patients as well as other issues were discussed in detail. Principals, chief executives and professors of different medical colleges were also present on this occasion. Shahbaz said that medicine is a noble profession. He said that during his period of exile he had personally observed the treatment facilities being provided to the patients in London and it was a great sight to find the medical help being extended to the patients without any discrimination of cast, colour and creed. However, he said that the situation was totally different in Pakistan as the elite had all medical facilities in the world. "The officers, politicians, judges as well as other important personalities can go abroad on government expenditures for treatment whereas millions of poor people are deprived of even basic treatment," he said. He said that during his visit to Rahimyar Khan he had himself observed the pathetic condition of hospitals and was shocked to see that medical equipments worth millions of rupees were covered in thick layers of dust and people lacked basic medical facilities. He said that despite a lapse of 60 years we have not been able to transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state as was envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam where justice and equal rights be available for the masses. He said that improvement of health sector is his top priority, as only healthy people constitute a healthy society. Referring to the death of a 24-year-old youth of Hazara at Services Hospital, the Chief Minister said that he lost his life due to criminal negligence of the concerned medical staff. He said that Chief Minister's inspection team failed to locate the family of the deceased only because he was a poor person. He said that salaries and service structure of doctors was also being improved. However, doctors would have to take practical measures for bringing about a positive change. Member National Assembly Ayyaz Sadiq, Members Provincial Assembly Dr Asad Ashraf and Ahmad Hussain Dahar, secretary Health and secretary Finance were also present on the occasion.