Daily Times

Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel on Sunday said that the government was revamping the health sector for provision of advanced healthcare facilities for better medical treatment to the public and ensuring transparency in MDCAT 2022 exams.

Talking to PTV news, he said that government was paying special attention to the health sector to ensure well-equipped advanced health facilities for the masses, adding, all available resources were being used to provide better health facilities and any kind of negligence will not be tolerated in this regard.

Replying a question related to MDCAT exams, he said MDCAT exams were conducted as per scheduled from November 13 (today) in which we will ensure its complete transparency and merit, adding, the PMC management had conducted exams after taking all provinces into confidence.

Government was taking all urgent measures to facilitate medical students, he said, adding, PMC had introduced a computer-based exam system to enhance transparency and allow all students to compete on a level playing field.

Minister said that the government has also started the cleanliness drive and renovation of the government hospitals, adding, the availability of medicines and installation of new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines in public hospitals was being ensured.

Officials to ensure arrangements at hospitals ahead of long march: Commissioner Rawalpindi Saqib Manan has directed the health authority officials to complete all arrangements at district health facilities concerning the long march arrival in Rawalpindi.

According to Commissioner’s office spokesman, Saqib directed the Deputy Commissioner to take on board the private hospitals and keep them in close touch with the allied hospitals.

The Commissioner also directed the police officials to arrange a mock exercise in collaboration with the hospital administration.

He said that not only the participants of the march but the safety of the lives and property of the residents of Rawalpindi was our priority, for which foolproof security would be arranged.

Saqib directed the municipal corporation and the city traffic police officials to remove encroachments, especially from Fawara Chowk’s side, so there was no problem accessing the hospital.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Dr. Muhammad Umar told APP that a comprehensive plan to deal with the emergency-like situation at health facilities had been devised.

He said all necessary arrangements were in place, including the availability of medicines, allocation of beds, and deployment of essential staff at the hospitals.

Dr. Umer added that duty rosters and focal persons for coordination in liaison with other departments, including Rescue 1122 and ambulance services, had been notified.

He added that designated areas identified for parking, ambulance entrance, and crowd management with the establishment of facilitation desks and colored guide mapping for directions to various vital departments were also issued./395

Long march meant to “create chaos in country”: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed said the politics of long march was nothing “but to create chaos in the country”.

While talking to media persons, during his visit at residence of an Islamic scholar, Muhammad Amir Iqbal at Khangarh, he stated that the government was trying to resolve problems of the masses.

However, he stated that some political forces were “pursuing foreign agenda” and weakening the country’s economy.

“Nobody will be allowed to damage the country’s economy in the name of politics,” he said.

On this occasion, Naeem Shehzad, Mian Shoaib, Qari Khalil Rehman, and many others were also present.

Minister chairs cabinet committee meeting: Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order has taken strict notice of the fireworks at some places during the long march of PTI and directed that this practice should be prevented in future.

The meeting of the committee was held on Sunday at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja.

Chief Secretary Punjab Abdullah Khan Sumbal, Acting Inspector General Police and other officers participated through video link.

In the meeting, the overall law and order situation was reviewed in detail. It was briefed that 3500 policemen have been deployed in Faisalabad for security purposes.

Chairman Committee Muhammad Basharat Raja expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements and praised the performance of police and district administration. He said that the officers and officials of the police and district administration are fulfilling the assigned responsibility in a good manner.

Acting IG Punjab directed the concerned DPOs to make satisfactory food arrangements for the police personnel during duty.