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Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said judicious provision of different acilities along with ensuring societal equality was a priority agenda of the PTI’s manifesto to ensure the welfare of the common man.
Meanwhile, the constitution also stresses to ensure equal provision of all such facilities to the masses. The government was going to take steps to fulfill the promise of a new Pakistan for all, he added.
However, numerous economic challenges had to be encountered by the government after the coronavirus, including dengue and locust attack, but the country continues to move on under the leadership of PM Imran Khan, he maintained.
He enunciated that improving healthcare facilities was a priority focus as it was ignored in the past. The health budget was Rs169 billion in the past which has been increased to Rs399 billion by the PTI-led government, he said.
Naya Pakistan Health Card would be given to every citizen in Punjab to extend the free medical facility of one million rupees per annum to every family. This card would be launched across Punjab from January while the same facility has already been introduced in DG Khan and Sahiwal divisions, respectively.
Naya Pakistan Health Card would be extended to the rest of the seven divisions from January next year and 30 million families, containing 115 million people, would benefit from the facility in Punjab, he conveyed. Rs440 billion would be provided for the purpose, he added.
While addressing the new Pakistan for all ceremony at Governor House Monday, he said a huge sum was allocated for the health sector for the first time as eight mother-and-child hospitals were being completed in Lahore and backward districts. Multan Nishtar-II, DG Khan institute of cardiology, institute of urology in Rawalpindi, Sheikh Zayed Hospital-II in Rahim Yar Khan and dental colleges were being built in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur.
Similarly, a new 1000-bed hospital at Ferozepur Road was planned along with the construction of new emergencies in 3 hospitals having the capacity of 400-beds, he noted.
The incumbent government has built 25 hospitals in 3 years, upgraded 158 health units and completed the unfinished DHQ hospital project of MB Din along with new DHQ hospitals in Chiniot, Hafizabad and Chakwal, he said.
Similarly, the CM added that 78 new health facilities have also been developed and 91 new health schemes have been included in the district development package.
Alongside, the PTI-led government established 9 new social security hospitals in 3 years while only 14 social security hospitals were built in 52 years since the launch of PESSI to 2018, he highlighted. Now industrial laborers are enjoying the best healthcare facilities in 23 social security hospitals.
Naya Pakistan for all is a commendable step towards achieving the goal of Riyasat-e-Medina of PM Imran Khan and this vision would be fulfilled by the provincial government, concluded the chief minister.