ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday lashed out at previous governments, especially the PML-N’s, for “neglecting” the health sector in Punjab.

Addressing a meeting held at the PM Office on Punjab’s health sector, the prime minister also approved around Rs90 billion worth of health-related projects in the province.

“Unfortunately in the past, provision of quality health services was ignored in Punjab, particularly in the under-developed areas,” he said.

PM Khan stressed the need to give special attention to mother and child health centres as this area was lacking in facilities.

The prime minister said emphasis should also be given to construction of new hospitals and improving services in the existing ones.

“Hospitals and new healthcare centres should be run on modern lines,” he added.

He also asked the provincial government to encourage collaboration with the private sector for raising the standard of the health sector, adding that partnership with the private sector was the government’s main priority and it was committed to providing every facility in this regard.

Referring to the federal government’s initiative of importing hospital equipment and utilising the Evacuee Trust Property Board’s land for building hospitals and educational institutions, the prime minister said public-private partnership in the health sector was one of the topmost priorities of the government.

Earlier, the prime minister was given a briefing on the steps taken to upgrade Punjab’s health system and the status of health-related projects being executed with the assistance of the federal government.

The prime minister was informed that in order to provide quality health services, various hospitals and advance health centres, especially mother and child hospitals and nursing colleges, were being built in various cities, including Gujranwala, Lahore, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Rajanpur, Attock, Mianwali and Chakwal, at a cost of around Rs90bn.

An amount of Rs17bn will be spent on these projects in the current year for which the federal government’s assistance will be needed.

The meeting was also attended by federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, Adviser to the PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Special Assistant to the PM on Information retired Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa and other senior officials.

Later, PM Khan was briefed on projects related to irrigation and proper management of the province’s water resources.

In a separate meeting, Prime Minister Khan directed the relevant ministry to place the factual position of the gas sector before the Council of Common Interests so that its issues could be resolved through coordination and professional expertise.

The prime minister gave this directive to his special assistant on petroleum Nadeem Babar.

The meeting was also attended by federal Ministers Pervaiz Khattak, Shibli Faraz, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Asad Umar and Umar Ayub Khan.

Buzdar meets PM

Prime Minister Khan met Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar — his second meeting with the chief minister in less than a week.

According to a source close to the prime minister, Chief Minister Buzdar held a series of official meetings in Rawalpindi before calling on the prime minister. He also took part in the meeting, which was presided over by the prime minister and discussed the state of the province’s health sector and related projects.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2020