Lahore: Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated new facilities at Raiwind tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital. With the completion of the extension projects through public-private partnership, the number of beds at the hospital has increased from 60 to 100. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister said that the THQ hospital was now equipped was Orthopaedic and Gynae wards, along with a state-of-the-art operation theatre. The CM said that new hospitals were being established across the province with latest facilities. He said work was also underway to instal CT Scan machines at all district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals. Hepatitis filter clinics were also being set up in every district, he said. “Now patients will not have to go to big cities in time of need for healthcare facilities. Latest equipment for CT scans and MRIs will be available in their areas. We have turned around the healthcare sector from an outdated system to one with state of the art facilities. Nobody will ever dare say to the patients that CT Scan machines are out of order or their duty time is over. The company which has set up the CT Scan machine will also be responsible for running it around the clock. “There would be no more strikes at health facilities as billions of rupees are being spent on provision of high quality material. It was my longstanding desire that medicines available at public-sector hospitals are the same as the ones I use when I’m unwell. Today, this dream has come true and for the first time and needy patients are getting free medicines,” he said. He said samples of medicines were sent to European laboratories for examination. Not a single sample was rejected. In the past, almost half of the sample would be rejected frequently,” he said. Sharif said mobile health units were providing best healthcare facilities in remote areas. Keeping in view their efficacy, 25 more mobile units have been imported. Some of them have reached and have been sent to remote areas, he added. The CM said that 40 hospitals had been modernised in different districts of the province and high-quality facilities were being provided to the patients. “This is the revolution we have brought about in the health sector. On one side, we have revolutionised the health sector, and on the other side, elements involved in sit-ins and lockdowns are desirous of destroying the revolution as the journey of public welfare is not tolerable to them,” he said. “We are introducing a system that was envisaged by Iqbal and Jinnah, but some politicians are conspiring against it and hindering it through sit-ins. No bigger conspiracy can be hatched against Pakistan than obstructing work for public welfare projects. Later, the CM took a round of the hospital and inquired after the patients. He also listened to suggestions made by doctors and other members of the hospital staff and expressed satisfaction on the quality of services being at the facility. Sharif also visited a filter clinic and inspected medical facilities there. He presided over the meeting in the committee room and directed that the number of counters for outdoor patients should be increased so that the wait time could be reduced. Separately, CM Sharif directed the police higher ups to submit a report to him on progress in investigation of sexual assault and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kasur. He said immediate action should be taken to arrest the culprits and to bring them to justice in accordance with the law. Published in Daily Times, January 11th 2018.