CHAKWAL: A pathology lab, CT scan centre and a newly renovated emergency block in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Chakwal were inaugurated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday.

The hospital has been renovated by the Infrastructure Authority of Punjab at the cost of Rs770 million. The state of the art laboratory will offer 43 tests and has the capacity to conduct 1,200 tests a day.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Sharif said: “I am pleased to see this state-of-the-art pathology lab. Such laboratories are even rarely seen in cities like Karachi and Lahore”.

New laboratory will offer 43 tests, introduction of CT scan means patients do not have to travel to Rawalpindi

He said the laboratory will operate round the clock and will do tests for free.

“Only the outdoor patients will pay Rs100 as fee”, he said, adding that this nominal fee will also be abolished.

He said now patients from Chakwal will not have to go to Rawalpindi and other big cities for CT scans.

“The control system of CT scans across Punjab is located in Lahore. The scans are sent to the control centre where radiologists analyse the reports and send recommendations to the particular DHQ hospital,” he said, and that a third party in Singapore will also monitor the scans.

The expenses of the CT scans will be paid for by the Punjab government, he said.

A revolution has been brought in the health sector of Punjab during the last five years, Mr Sharif said.

He added that incinerators from France have been set up in 13 districts of the province to help dispose of hazardous hospital waste while incinerators from UK will be installed soon in 13 other districts of Punjab.

He said Chakwal has been attached to Rawalpindi and that the waste from DHQ hospital Chakwal is taken to Rawalpindi for disposal every day.

“It is the duty of the state to provide quality health services to its citizens on the basis of equality,” he maintained.

The chief minister praised provincial health minister Khawaja Imran Nazir and secretary health Ali Jan and their teams for bringing improvements to the health sector.

“To change the health sector is a long journey but we will make health facilities here at par with international standards,” he said.

“We brought 20 mobile health units from Europe which have been dispatched to backward areas which were completely deprived of medical facilities, he said, elaborating that these health units were like mini hospitals.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2018