Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif attended the 45th convocation of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) at Awan-e-Iqbal on Friday and commended the role of the CPSP in educating and training doctors. Besides provision of free medicine, dialysis facility and installation of the air-conditioners in hospitals, mobile hospitals had been imported for providing healthcare facilities to the residents of far-flung areas, he said.
Shahbaz said that the revised salary package had been announced for doctors, nurses and paramedics and now it was their responsibility to utilise all their energies for the service of humanity. He said there was a need for collective and concerted efforts to solve the problems of the country. The CM congratulated the doctors who had been awarded fellowships, memberships and diplomas and said Pakistani doctors had earned a good name for the country by serving in the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and other countries and added that they should serve in their own country with the same spirit.
He said doctors had taken the oath of service to humanity and should perform their responsibilities with commitment and dedication. Shahbaz said provision of modern facilities was his agenda and he had spent a lot of funds on the improvement of medical facilities in the last three years. He said the funds allocated for the health sector had been raised from Rs 11 billion to Rs 38 billion adding that provision of funds for the health sector was not a favour.
He said the rural and basic health centres had failed to provide healthcare facilities in remote areas therefore mobile health units, equipped with latest treatment facilities, were being imported. He said six mobile health units had started functioning in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar and Mianwali. He said 300 people were benefiting daily from the mobile health units as compared to 10 patients benefiting from a basic health care centre.
The CM said the Health Department had no relation with the mobile health units and the company which was supplying the mobile health units was responsible for operating them. He said the improvement of the health services was a collective responsibility and concerted efforts were required for that purpose. He said there was a need to display honesty, hard work and commitment and collective efforts for the progress of the country.
The CM said Rs 5.20 billion had been allocated to ensure a 50 percent increase in the salaries of doctors, nurses and paramedics. He said the total budget allocated for this purpose had reached the figure of Rs 112 million. He said raise in the salaries and privileges was the right of doctors, nurses and paramedics. However, he said, the measures taken by the government for uplift of the health sector would succeed only if those associated with the health sector concentrated on their duties.
CPSP President Dr Zaffarullah Chaudhry said the college was the only institution of the country that was producing specialists in 64 fields. He said 14 regional centres of the college were operating within Pakistan as well as three abroad. Later, the CM awarded gold medals to the Fellowship programme position holders whereas the CPSP president presented a shield to the CM. Health Secretary Jehanzeb Khan, the CPSP vice-chancellor, medical colleges’ principals and a large number of senior doctors were also present.
CM meets WAIPA CEO: World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Carlos Bronzatto met the CM on Friday. The CM said the government had provided an atmosphere favourable for the promotion of investment in the province and added that all necessary facilities had been provided to the investors. He said an autonomous and proactive investment board had been set up to provide guidance and advisory services to the investors.
He said that there was a lot of scope of investment in various sectors including agriculture, livestock and energy. He said agreements had been signed with the Chinese companies for cooperation in the energy and transport sectors while Iran and Turkey were also collaborating with the Punjab government for the progress of various sectors. He said foreign investment was vital for the national development and the government was taking measures in this regard.
Punjab Assembly Member Syed Zaeen Qadri, the chief secretary, planning and development chairman, the finance secretary, the industry secretary, Bank of Punjab president and the Punjab Investment Board vice chairman were also present.
