Daily Times

Lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday demanded an FIR against Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid over the death of cancer patients due to non-availability of medicine.

The MPAs from the opposition benches were of the view that the health department is responsible for the deaths of cancer patients and therefore action should be taken against the health minister who showed negligence over this grave issue. As per the details, PPP’s parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza raised the issue of cancer patients’ death in the House while speaking on a point of order on Thursday.

“It is very unfortunate that the cancer patients left with no option except to hold protest demonstration at Charing Cross due to non-availability of medicines,” said Hassan Murtaza while adding that four patients died due to the criminal negligence of the government. Imran Khan became the Prime Minister only by the rhetoric of establishing a cancer hospital but now his own government isn’t providing medicine to the cancer patient, he said. He was of the view that the ministers of PTI used to claim in the past when they were in the opposition that if we cannot find the killer of anyone then the ruler of the country should be held responsible. “Will the government lodge an FIR now against Dr Yasmin Rashid,” he asked. Minister said that there was a five years contract with the company in past in which 3300 cancer patients were given medicines of over 6 billion rupees. “The company stopped the supply of the medicine merely to put pressure as the government ordered a third party audit of the company that has a monopoly in the country,” she said. Dr Yasmin said that the health department has written a letter to the said company and it has now assured us that the medicine will be supplied to the patients. Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi asked the health minister to hold an inquiry to ascertain the deaths of four patients due to non-availability of medicine. You must keep ample stock of medicine in hand at any cost for the patients, the speaker said, and directed the minister to take funds from the CM to get medicine in time. PPP’s Hassan Murtaza also raised objections on the inquiry under the supervision of health minister as he said that how can a person hold an inquiry against himself.

PML-N’s Rana Mashood said that the government has failed miserably in controlling dengue and providing medicine to cancer patients. People are dying due to dengue and cancer but the government is doing nothing. He once again demanded production orders for Hamza Shahbaz as he said that the opposition leader of this province must be allowed to come in the House for raising the issues of the masses. The opposition demanded production orders for Hamza from speaker as MPAs chanted slogans ‘Speaker Sahab qadam barhao…hum tumharay sath hein’. They were also carrying large portraits of Hamza Shahbaz in the House. Speaker assured them that he would talk to the CM to resolve this matter.

Earlier, the session started after a delay of two hours from its scheduled time of three PM with Speaker Elahi in the Chair. As many as four ordinances The University of Mianwali Ordinance, The Punjab Public Private Partnership Ordinance, The Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Ordinance and The Punjab Probation and Parole Service Ordinance were also laid in the House. The government also passed The Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill without much resistance from the Opposition. The session was later adjourned to meet again on Friday morning.