Daily Times

LAHORE: Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday visited the surgical tower of Mayo Hospital, which has been constructed with a cost of Rs 1.1 billion.

He inspected different sections including operation theaters, latest CT scan machines and the burn unit comprising of 91-beds.

Talking on the occasion, he said that revolutionary steps are being taken for improving the health sector along with provision of latest facilities to the people by the government. “Under this agenda, different medical facilities have been provided to the people at their doorsteps. Billions of rupees have been spent on health sector and no dearth of resources will ever happen for bringing improvements in this vital sector,” he added.

He said that CT scan machines were being provided to all the district headquarters hospitals in Punjab and added the company providing these machines would also be responsible for their after sales service. “Due to it, patients will have round the clock facility of CT scan,” he said.

He expressed his satisfaction over the availability of latest medical equipments in the operation theaters of surgical tower. He informed that digital angiography and vesicular surgery is being introduced for the first time in Pakistan.

The chief minister inspected burn center ward, ICU, treatment room and sterilization room and also visited hyprotherapy and shower room. He held one-on-one meetings with doctors and paramedical staff and gave the directions that best doctors and staff should be posted for anesthesia. He appreciated the performance of health department for ensuring timely and qualitative construction of surgical tower and commended the fact that this 6-storey building is equipped with latest medical facilities which will give best treatment to the patients. He said that surgical transplant of the amputated patients suffering different injuries in accidents will also be possible and it is sanguine that the operation theaters are hundred percent infection-free.

The international-quality facilities which are available in the USA and other developed countries will be provided in Mayo Hospital Lahore and treatment of stomach cancer along with cure of TB through chest digital X-ray will be done as well.

Health Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah gave the briefing about various features of the tower. Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and senior doctors were also present on the occasion.

Swimming complex: Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Punjab International Swimming Complex at Qaddafi Stadium on Tuesday and inspected different sections after the inauguration. While talking to the players and their coaches, he impressed upon the players to play best and bring laurels home.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister said that an international standard swimming complex had been developed in the provincial metropolis and a number of facilities have been provided for the players. He hoped that this complex would play an important role in promoting the sport of swimming. He said that special attention was being given to the promotion of sports activities and Rs. eight billion has been provided for it. Quite a number of new sports fields for hockey, cricket and football games are being constructed in the province. He said that state-of-the-art hockey stadiums have been established in five selected cities while sports grounds were also being developed in other districts to facilitate the youth. Similarly, gymnasiums have also been set up to encourage youth to take part in different sports activities, he added.

The chief minister said that the menace of squatters had spread everywhere and thousands of acres of land amounting to billions of rupees had been occupied by this mafia in different provinces.

“There is a need to recover these lands from the encroachers to provide sports facilities to the youth. The Punjab government has recovered hundreds of acres of land from the qabza mafia and constructed sports fields there. There is a need to recover these lands from them so that they could be properly utilized for the public welfare,” he added.

He said that expatriate Pakistanis purchased lands and properties, but unluckily, these assets were encroached upon. “The Punjab government has set up the Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab to save the precious properties of Pakistanis living abroad from the land mafia and this institution has provided prompt relief to thousands of expatriates. Rule of law is the only way forward and we have taken effective steps to control any unlawful act,” he said.

“Pakistan belongs to all of us and we all have to develop it. Let us join hands together and work collectively for the betterment of the country as no nation can progress through sit-in, lockdowns and agitation. If you try to disturb the souls of Quaid and Iqbal through sit-ins and agitation, then the nation will foil the nefarious designs.

Published in Daily Times, January 17^th 2018.