LAHORE, Dec 16: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the Punjab government will set up a cardiac hospital in Quetta for the Baloch brethren. It will arrange for the medical staff and fund their training as well.

He was presiding over a meeting held in connection with the proposed establishment of the cardiology hospital in Quetta.

The chief minister said the model hospital for the treatment of cardiac diseases would be built on the pattern of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, according to a press release. He said the 100-bed hospital would be a gift by the people of Punjab to their Baloch brethren.

He said the Punjab government had already announced establishment of a college in Quetta, which would be equipped with the latest facilities.

WASA: Solid measures are being taken to improve the Water and Sanitation Agency services, and negotiations are being held with the French government for technical assistance in this regard, the chief minister said at another meeting.

Reviewing the performance of Wasa, he noted that Lahore’s sewerage system was in a pathetic condition as stagnant rainwater becomes a nuisance for the people during monsoon. The government, he said, was also considering various projects for garbage collection and its recycling. He added that talks were being held with a number of local and foreign companies to carry out the project.

He said waste management and capacity-building of Wasa was the government’s responsibility, however, this programme would be outsourced. He also issued instructions for short- and mid-term planning for improving the agency’s performance.