- Punjab CM reaffirms commitment to provision of education, training, and rehab of children suffering from autism
LAHORE: Sufferings of small children are unbearable and the Punjab government will pay all expenses of their heart surgeries,” said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz while appreciating a unique record of conducting more than 3,000 children’s heart surgeries in just six months under Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program.
“Children have the first right on government’s resources, everyone is like my own children,” she highlighted, adding that under the program, 3,162 children have underwent successful heart surgeries and interventions.
The Chief Minister said, “Children from other provinces are also benefitting from the first and comprehensive Chief Minister’s free Children’s Heart Surgery Program.” She noted, “Teams of foreign children’s heart surgeons are visiting Punjab every month.”
CM Maryam Nawaz was briefed by the authorities concerned, “A team of British doctors has recently performed heart surgery of children at Faisalabad Cardiology Institute.” They said,”7,436 child patients have been registered from across Pakistan under Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program.”
They added, “Children from other provinces are also being provided free heart surgeries under the Program.” She was apprised,”316 children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 51 from Sindh, 11 from Balochistan, 158 from Azad Kashmir and 30 from Gilgit-Baltistan will receive free heart surgery and treatment in Punjab.” She was also briefed, “Under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program, heart surgery operations of 2419 child patients have been conducted in government hospitals while 743 operations were performed in private hospitals.”
The Punjab CM said, “Punjab government is paying all expenses of children’s heart surgery and treatment under the program.” She noted, “Before launch of the Program, hundreds of children used to lose their lives annually due to long waiting lists and insufficient resources, parents were forced to helplessly watch their children suffer.”
Message of CM Maryam Nawaz on World Autism Awareness Day
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz extended Eid greetings to children suffering from autism on the eve of World Autism Awareness Day. She reaffirmed her commitment to the provision of education, training, and rehabilitation of children suffering from autism.
She said, “Children with autism are not patients but special people. For the first time in Punjab, special education and special children have also been included among the ‘list of priorities.’ Work is underway to introduce employment programs along with Rising Star Card for the special children.”
The CM said, “The first government autism school of Pakistan is rapidly nearing its final phase of completion in Lahore, and the facility will also provide early autism diagnosis in the first phase. Early diagnosis of autism in children during their tender age of three years makes treatment more effective and curable.”
She added, “For the first time, gift packs were given to 40,000 children across Punjab on the eve of Eid. 12 autism units have been established at special education centres Autism centres have also been set up in 27 divisional public schools across the province.”
She said, “A packed food meal program for the special children has been launched and digital touch screens are being installed at the District Special Education Centres of Excellence. A Special Education Information System, a dedicated Helpline (1162) have been established and a mobile app has also been functionalized.”
Ensure Fixed Fares From Passengers Returning After Eid Break
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz has directed to ensure charging of fixed fares from the passengers in view of their returning after the Eid holidays.
She directed to take strict action against those charging higher fares from the passengers in Lahore and other cities.
She said, “In case of overcharging, fares collected from the passengers should be refunded, and a fine should be imposed on the bus staff.”
She added, “Fitness of vehicles should be checked, and no unfit vehicle should be allowed to ply on the roads which puts passengers’ lives at risk.”
