MULTAN-Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid on Tuesday glowing tributes to the security forces for rendering tremendous sacrifices in war against terror, hoping that the ongoing operation Raddul Fasaad would completely eliminate the menace of terrorism and extremism from the country.
He observed this after attending a meeting he co-chaired with Multan Corps Commander Lt-Gen Sarfaraz Sattar at Corps Headquarters to review arrangements for launching first phase of sixth population census.
On the occasion, the participants were informed that all arrangements have been put in place for conducting the census. The chief minister was also briefed on the Garrison Public Library project.
The CM said that Pakistan Army, police and other law enforcement agencies have created a new history of sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said that the Pakistan Army is fully capable of facing successfully any internal or external challenges. He said that Pakistan achieved tremendous success in war against terrorism.
Mian Shehbaz Sharif emphasised that the census is an important national responsibility in view of the future planning for a bright tomorrow. He added that the importance of census is an established fact for doing planning in all fields of life. He said that the Punjab Government has taken revolutionary steps to empower the youth. He praised the library project and declared that the Punjab Government would extend all-out support for accomplishment of the project.
Meanwhile, the Punjab chief minister carried out a surprise visit to Kidney Institute Multan and Children Complex Hospital. The CM enquired about the health of patients at the hospitals and inspected operation theatres and dialysis centre at Kidney Institute. He expressed his displeasure over presence of unclean bed sheets as well as deployment of unskilled staff at CT Scan room. He also expressed his anger on delay in supply of gas for laundry plant of the Kidney Institute.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that he would not let anyone spoil billions of rupees spent on provision of healthcare facilities to the public. "We've provided funds worth billions for offering better healthcare facilities to the people. Is it justice if an ordinary citizen is denied healthcare?" he exclaimed. He said that the public hospitals are meant to offer latest healthcare facilities to the patients and the administrators should go home if they could not turn these hospitals into the centres for cure. He said that he has taken the goal of offering better healthcare facilities to the public at their threshold as a mission and he would not sit calmly until this goal is achieved. He said that he would continue his war until the decaying system is changed.
He expressed his displeasure on absence of UPS for X-ray machine and said that it is a joke with the patients. He maintained that appointing an unskilled and untrained person for operating a CT Scan machine is also a big injustice with the people. He reprimanded the Medical Superintendent of the Kidney Centre and said that this situation would not have developed, had there been proper check and balance. He said that the appointment of an unskilled person for running a CT Scan machine is an inhuman act on the part of hospital administration. He also took serious notice of a complaint lodged by some patients regarding hospital administration's charging fee for providing medicines. He issued order for the treatment of the people for free.
While visiting the under construction Children Complex extension project, he located poor quality of work. "It's a very sad state of affairs that machinery worth billions purchased long ago for the hospital has not been installed so far," he said. The CM disclosed that Rs2 billion is being spent on the Children Complex extension project and 150 beds would be added to the existing capacity of the hospital.
Talking to the media outside the hospital, the CM said that Nishtar Medical College is being upgraded as medical university while the Kidney Centre and Children Complex Hospital would also be made fully functional very soon. He further revealed that the land for the Nishtar Hospital extension project has been purchased and funds in the budget also allocated.
To a question, he rejected reports regarding privatisation of public hospitals, saying the administrative affairs of some hospitals has been given to the NGOs for improving efficiency. "These NGOs are funded by the Punjab Government and they're running these hospitals better than other public hospitals," he added. He said that the Racep Tayyab Ordegon Hospital Muzaffargarh has been handed over to the NGO Indus Trust and it runs the hospital in an exemplary way. He declared that the residents of South Punjab would get facilities like liver and bone marrow transplant, cardiac bypass and other sub specialities after the completion of the Children Complex extension project. He said that millions of people benefited from metro buses across the country daily and the Multan Metro project offered quality, quick and cheaper in cost commuting facility to the residents of South Punjab.