ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday said provision of adequate health facilities to public foremost priorities of the government. Chairing a briefing on revamping of Cantonment Hospital Rawalpindi here at the PM House, the prime minister said the federal government would provide best possible support to the hospital enabling it to serve the community in a more efficient manner. Director General Military Lands and Cantonments briefed the prime minister about health facilities being provided to the residents as well as non-residents at the Cantonment Hospital Rawalpindi. He also briefed the meeting about plans for renovation and setting up of modern medical equipment to ensure better health services to people especially the poor. The prime minister was informed that besides making the existing 500-bed health facility fully functional, the establishment of a medical college was also included in the up-gradation plans. Minister for Defence Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed, Secretary Finance and senior officers attended the briefing. Juvenile offenders: Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has successfully launched a project for the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders at Quetta district jail. Justice Munawar Ali Shahwani of the Balochistan High Court inaugurated the training activity as a chief guest. The objective of the project is to invest in juvenile offenders and offer them opportunities to become positive agents of peace and prosperity in their respective communities. On successful completion of training, the trainees will be awarded certificates, said a press release. The project is one of the priority projects identified at the UN-PMYP Needs Assessment Conference on Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP). In her message, Chairperson Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Leila Khan said, “It is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that the PML-N government has started such a project for the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders in prisons”. “In collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), we are already running similar trainings for juveniles in Haripur Prison in KP, and are planning to replicate the same model very soon in Hyderabad and Mardan Jails,” she added. The UNOCT has provided the requisite training equipment and material in order to train juveniles at Quetta district jail in the trades of ‘motorcycle mechanic” and ‘tailoring’ for a three-month period in order to provide them with livelihood opportunities upon their release from prison. Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Balochistan TEVTA) has provided two expert trainers for this purpose. Published in Daily Times, December 27th 2017.