ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that provision of standard and cheap health facilities to the people and social protection are foremost priorities of the government.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the premier said that the health cards system will not only protect the common man in respect of health but also revolutionise the health system.
Earlier on Friday, PM Imran had said that provision of quality and affordable healthcare and social security to the people, especially the lower class, is the top priority of the government. He was presiding over a high-level meeting which reviewed the progress on the programme of Universal Health Insurance.
The prime minister directed for continuous monitoring of the Universal Health Insurance Programme and assured all possible cooperation from the government in this regard.
The meeting was briefed that under a short term plan, health cards will be provided in seven districts of Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions by the end of the current financial year.
The meeting was further informed that by December this year, the entire population of Punjab will be given access to better treatment facilities through Health Cards under Universal Health Insurance Programme.
ONE BILLION SAPLING PLANTATION TARGET:
Separately, Prime Minister Imran has set a target of the plantation of one billion saplings by August 2021.
The incumbent government has so far planted as many as 700 million saplings and it plans to plant 350 million more between February and August, thereby achieving the one billion sapling plantation target.
PM Imran will himself take part in plantation drives in the four provinces by attending events to be organised in this regard to encourage plantation among people.
The sources said Special Assistant to the PM (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has outlined a schedule for the prime minister’s visit to the provinces. The premier will soon attend an event to be held in connection with the launch of a mangrove plantation drive in Sindh and partake in olive plantation drives in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan.
The premier in a tweet on Saturday had said that the government has launched urban forestry on the lines of Japanese Miyawaki technique to fight pollution. The prime minister had added that 50 sites have been chosen in Lahore for this purpose.
He had noted that Miyawaki technique helps grow trees ten times faster and thirty times denser. He had said the first experiment of Miyawaki was done at Liberty Roundabout Lahore last year.
The Miyawaki technique was developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki and it helps in building dense forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.
It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. The technique is alternatively known as the potted seedling method. The method helps ensure a lowering of temperature, makes soil nutritious, supports local wildlife and sequestration of carbon.
The Miyawaki technique is used firstly by carrying out a soil survey. The survey helps in determining the soil texture in which plants should be planted. Under the method, there is also a need to identify all native species in the area and saplings with the highest height between 60–80 centimetres.
To ensure it is a success tree species are selected as per the three layers like shrub layer, Subtree layer, tree layer, and canopy layer. It is also pertinent to mention that the same species are not to be placed next to each other. Once the soil has been prepared and the trees are planted using the Miyawaki methodology the forest will be required to be monitored for three years. After three years the forest becomes self-sufficient.
