LAHORE, May 10 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated pathology lab, first OPD block and hepatitis filter clinic at DHQ Hospital Jhelum, on Thursday.
Provincial Minister Kh. Imran Nazir, assembly members from Jhelum and concerned officials were present on the occasion.
After the inauguration, Shehbaz Sharif prayed for success of new initiatives and announced that foundation stone of a new hospital will be laid immediately after the elections of 2018 if an opportunity is accorded by Almighty Allah. This hospital will be completed in a span of one year with Punjab Speed, he added.
He said hospital culture has been totally transformed in Punjab. Earlier, patients were afraid of going to government-run hospitals and now they will feel satisfied in their treatment in public sector hospitals, he added. He said, “PTI and Peoples Party should come to us to get training of public service.”
The chief minister inspected different sections of filter clinic and asked the patients about the availability of different facilities. He also went to chest clinic to inquire the patients about treatment facilities and availability of medicines. Patients expressed their pleasant surprise over the presence of Chief Minister in first OPD block of the hospital.
Shehbaz Sharif inquired after the patients and prayed for their early recovery. He also examined gynae OPD, operation theater block and dialysis centre and inquired about the working of the dialysis machine there.
He also visited the pathology lab and keenly checked different steps of medical tests. He said that establishment of pathology lab in DHQ Hospital Jhelum is a gift of the PML-N government for the people. He announced that pathology tests will be held free of cost in all outdoors of the hospitals in Punjab and fee will be paid by the Punjab government. In DHQ Hospital Jhelum, the facility of medical tests will be provided through Islamabad Diagnostic Center, he added.
The patients said that the chief minister has won the hearts of the people with new initiatives and now standard of the hospital is no less than any good hospital. You have transformed the hospital’s culture and it does not give the appearance of a public sector hospital, they added.
Talking to the media-persons afterwards, the chief minister said the real revolution has been introduced in the healthcare sector and culture of public sector hospitals has been totally changed. Now, the patients are getting quality medicines free of cost in government-run hospitals. He said that DHQ Hospital Jhelum has been totally revamped and CT scan machine will be installed here within a week to provide round-the-clock facility to the patients.
He said the Punjab government has spread a network of CT scan machines in the province and the culture of asking the patients to conduct their CT scans from outside has been done away with. “This is the service which we have done for the ailing humanity,” he added.
He said revolutionary steps in the health sector are satisfying but the journey is long and it has to be completed with unified efforts.
He said incinerators are being installed in government hospitals to dispose of the hospital waste. The French and UK made plants have been set up in 15 DHQ hospitals and their installment in other district hospitals is in progress speedily, he said and added that incinerating plant will be set up in DHQ Hospital Jhelum in the month of August.
He said that health projects have been completed with Punjab Speed and this passion has been transformed to Pakistan Speed now.
The chief minister invited the PTI and Peoples Party leadership to come here for learning about serving the ailing humanity and how hospitals are established. “We will tell them that what honesty, hard work and trust are,” he added. “Different countries have surpassed us by following these golden principles and we have to work very hard so that Pakistan could gain a position of respect and honor in the comity of nations by continuously working hard as a unified nation,” concluded the Chief Minister.