Daily Times

The Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi presided over a meeting at his office to review the performance of the health department and progress on special measures.

During the meeting, the CM prioritized the completion of construction, repair, and maintenance projects in hospitals, while expressing his satisfaction with the timely treatment of heart patients through the drop-and-shift system.

Additionally, it was announced that CCTV cameras will be installed in emergencies in government hospitals, with a dedicated monitoring room established for video and audio recording. The proposal to increase health professional allowance was also discussed, and progress was noted in the health screening of prisoners and differently-abled children, with the CM instructing for regular screenings every three months.

The meeting further discussed plans to provide 200 ambulances for expecting women to facilitate hospital transfer, and to complete repairs and rehabilitation of the emergency ward at Children’s Hospital Lahore. The launch of the “safe blood for Punjab” project was also announced, with a focus on providing healthy blood to patients. The private collaboration will be sought to initiate the angiography facility at Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, and the ultrasound facility and staff evening shift has already commenced at Mian Munshi Hospital Lahore.

During the meeting, briefings were given by the secretaries of specialized healthcare & medical education and primary & secondary healthcare departments, and the Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education, Dr Javed Akram and the Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Dr Jamal Nasir, were among those in attendance.

Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting on axle load management at his office where he directed to take sustainable steps to prevent roads from deteriorating.

Attended by high-level officials including the chief secretary, IG police, ACS (home), chairman P&D and representatives from various departments including law, industries, local government, C&W, information and transport, the meeting discussed introducing amendments to the Industry Rules of 1996 and Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance of 1965.

The meeting reviewed a proposal to install digital weigh stations on selected major roads in Punjab. The C&W department will develop a digital weighing policy to restrict overloaded vehicles and enhance safety. Punjab Highway Police will verify the approved weight in freight vehicles, and digital weigh scales will be linked to the PITB app. The weight data of each freight vehicle will be accessible through the respective district’s dashboard. Moreover, weighing machines in crushing plants, grain markets, cement, sugar, fertilizer factories, and other industries will also be connected to the PITB app.

The proposed measures aim to promote sustainable road management in Punjab and protect the infrastructure from damage caused by overloading.