KASUR: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif paid a surprise visit to the Kasur District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital on Wednesday and suspended the deputy medical officer for his absence.

The chief minister also blacklisted the private sanitation contractor and expressed his annoyance over unhygienic conditions at the health facility.

The arrival of the chief minister was so abrupt that the district administration remained clueless about the chief minister’s presence in the hospital for quite some time who was visiting the wards and enquiring after the patients.

The chief minister began his visit from the emergency ward. Later, he went to various wards. In a ward, he saw some sweepers working without uniform. The chief minister was visibly perturbed when some of the sweepers complained their private contractor would pay them less wages and would get their signatures over papers showing higher wages. The chief minister ordered an inquiry into he matter.

Talking to reporters, the chief minister said the Punjab government was spending billions on the health sector to give relief to the poor. He said now the poor were getting the same medicines which the elite class would use for treatment.

He said that arrangements in the wards regarding oxygen supply and other equipment would be made according to the modern standards. He said that there was ample improvement in the hospital but still there was margin for improvement.

He also praised the efforts of Deputy Commissioner Amara Khan. He stayed in the hospital for one hour. He also sent his team to Ferozepur Road with the members of the district administration to remover encroachments from Mustafabad to Kasur.

The chief minister also advised the hospital staff to raise awareness among the public regarding infectious diseases.

He also told the administration to establish a medical board.

In a later handout, the district administration said it had warned the fruit vendors to remove encroachments by 10am on Thursday or face action.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2017