LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the timely completion of Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), and major hospital projects across Punjab with deadlines set for March and June 2025, respectively.
During a three-hour meeting to review the progress of the CM Punjab Special Health Initiatives, she made a historic decision to grant special allowances to doctors working in remote areas of the province.
Senior officials, including Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir via video link, attended the meeting, reviewing health projects across Punjab divisions and discussing the conversion of Simli TB Hospital into a General Hospital and establishing medical colleges on a public-private partnership basis.
The meeting highlighted the commencement of the Rs46 billion Phase-I of Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and accommodations for patients’ families.
The CM ordered an increase in the number of beds from 100 to 150 in the first phase, with potential expansion to 280 beds in the future.
She evaluated proposals for a specialized bone marrow transplant hospital and a free insulin program in Punjab.
Directives were given to expedite the construction of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha and to address outsourcing of angiography services. Continuous monitoring systems for hospitals are also being developed.
The CM endorsed a special project for artificial limb implants, the establishment of a cancer treatment unit at Qatar Hospital in Bhakkar, and operationalizing the PIC-II Cardiology unit in Rajanpur.
Moreover, relevant departments were instructed to submit project timelines, emphasising no compromise on quality.
