MUZAFFARGARH - Waheed Khalid Chaudhry  - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday inaugurated a 50-bed state-of-the-art hospital in flood devastated Rakh Khanpur area of Muzaffargarh which has been constructed at a cost of Rs2 billion donated by people brotherly country Turkey.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that Turkish people provided sufficient donations for the construction of colonies, schools and hospitals for the flood-hit people of Dera Ghazi Khan division. On the occasion, Adviser to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique briefed that the new hospital was equipped with modern healthcare facilities particularly in Paediatrics and gynaecology while a trauma centre would also be established in the hospital.
Shahbaz Sharif said that Turkey had become a role model for the countries from Casablanca to Kuala Lumpur under the leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and that he (CM) saluted the vision and leadership prowess of the Turk prime minister.
The Punjab CM declared that Turkey and Pakistan would walk shoulder to shoulder in every walk of life to get optimum benefit from each other's potentials. He said that the Metro Bus project assisted by Turkey had transformed Lahore into a modern and developed city. He said that project had also been launched in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Shahbaz Sharif vowed to further strengthen the bilateral trade, cultural, political and economic relations with the Turkey.
He stressed the need for both the countries to work for joint ventures and investment in various sectors of economy including energy, transport, communication, infrastructure, textile, automobile, agriculture, industry, food processing, dairy development, information technology, oil and gas.
He pointed out that Pakistanis and Turkish people enjoyed historic brotherly relations and "I am proud of this relationship". He also paid rich tributes to the Turkish Government and people striving hard for prosperity under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"We have made commitment to further enhance the bilateral trade and economic relations," the Punjab CM maintained. The chief minister said that corruption and negligence in healthcare would not be tolerated and stern action would be taken against those who had purchased rusted machinery for Lodhran Hospital.
Shahbaz Sharif also took strong exception to the theft of an infant from Muzaffargarh DHQ Hospital during the electricity loadshedding. Punjab Health Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir, Dean KE Medical University Dr Arshad Cheema, Secretary Irfan Illahi, City Press Club President Dr Khalid Mehmood Zaffar Chaudhry, Turkish representative Mehmoud Ahmed, Mian Ahsan of Lahore, Sohaib bin Amir, Punjab Social Welfare Minister Makhdoom Haroon Sultan and MPAs - Kaswar Kareem Langrial, Hammad Nawaz Tipu, Mian Imran Qureshi were present on the occasion.
It is to be noted that Republic of Turkey has built hospital and school (both the institutions) as a token of love and affection for the Pakistani brethren in distress. This hospital will be run under the supervision of a trust.