PM Shehbaz expresses regret over the steps taken by ex-CJ Saqib Nisar & Imran Khan to undermine the health department
RAWALPINDI, April 18 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif formally inaugurated various services for the patients at Urology Department of Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Transplantation (RIUT) Hospital on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the efforts of Secretary Health, Vice Chancellor and management of the Hospital for timely completing the project and ensuring state of the art health facilities for the patients.
The Prime Minister said the groundbreaking ceremony of this hospital was laid by him in 2009 and sufficient funds were provided during his last tenure as Chief Minister Punjab that helped complete the various units of this hospital. PM Shehbaz Sharif said that so far Rs 5 billion have been spent on the hospital.
Highlighting the role of this hospital during COVID-19 pandemic, he said efforts will be made to provide modern facilities in this hospital.
Expressing regret over the steps taken by former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and PTI Chairman Imran Khan to undermine the health department, the Prime Minister categorically said that no one would be allowed to do politics over health and education. He said that like other projects, this hospital project was also thrown in the dustbin during the tenure of previous government.
He said that patients of liver transplant were being sent to China and India, adding that China is Pakistan’s friend but the matters of Pakistan with India has not been resolved so far and Kashmir issue is at the top. He said that foreign exchange was being spent on the liver transplant, adding that we decided to establish PKLI in Lahore, adding that free of cost liver transplant facility was arranged for people of whole Pakistan but later on everything was ended and placed in the cold storage. He said that now the PKLI has started the service again.
He also urged all the segments of the society including political parties to stay united to serve humanity. The Prime Minister visited various wards of the hospital and also inspected the facilities provided at different units.
He also interacted with the patients and enquired about their health and facilities they were availing at the hospital.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was briefed that the facility contains the capacity of 255 beds. It was informed that the deadline of the project was set as June 2024 while the management plans to complete it within this year.
On the occasion, PML-N leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said as par the instructions and vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, free emergency services are being provided in all government sector hospitals of Rawalpindi. He also appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts for making the hospital functional in just few days.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, Malik Abrar Ahmed Khan, former mayor Rawalpindi Sardar Muhammad Naseem Khan, Raja Muhammad Hanif Advocate, Nasir Mahmood Butt, Ziaullah Shah and other officials were also present on the occasion.