–Dr Hasan Askari inaugurates Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology
LAHORE: Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif was a national leader and like everyone else, had the right to freedom of expression.
Referring to an earlier statement of the PML-N chief, which alleged the caretaker setup of being biased, CM Askari said that independent elections could take place only if all political parties cooperated with the government and trusted it. “Only three days are lefts till the elections and our prime focus is to hold them in a transparent and impartial manner,” said the chief minister.
Speaking to media representatives following the inauguration of Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, the chief minister told that the hospital, constructed at a cost of Rs1 billion, would facilitate patients from 6 districts with state-of-the-art healthcare.
“Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology is equipped with latest facilities including heart surgeries, CCU, cardiac emergency, angiography, angioplasty, eco-cardiograph, radiology and technical laboratories. The foundation stone of the project was laid in 2006 and construction was started in 2007, however, it was made operational after a period of 12 years.”
At the occasion, the chief minister was informed that the institute had a capacity of 200 beds and would facilitate around 5 million patients as they would no longer have to visit Lahore or other big cities for treatment.
Later in the day, the chief minister also inaugurated an afforestation campaign by planting a sapling in one of the lawns of the hospital.
He said the interim government had started the campaign across Punjab and was planting trees as it was an effective way to minimise environmental pollution and smog.
The chief minister said that such trees that gave shadow and fruit should be planted and taking care of plants was everyone’s duty.
Provincial caretaker ministers Zai Haider Rizvi, Dr Jawad Sajid Khan, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education sectary, as well as other officials concerned, were also present at the occasion.
