As part of the energy-saving campaign, the Punjab government has planned shifting 210 government hospitals across the province, including Lahore, to solar energy system, which is estimated to save more than Rs3 billion per annum.
The Punjab government has already completed and launched most of the energy saving projects, including government schools and higher education institutions, which are saving billions of rupees annually by converting them to solar energy.
On the other hand, 210 hospitals are now being shifted to solar energy. According to an official report sent to the Cabinet by the Punjab Energy Department, the shifting of government hospitals to solar energy will help save more than Rs3 billion
annually.
Solar panels with a capacity of 95MW will be installed in government hospitals, which will generate 173.3 MW of electricity annually. All DHQ, THQ and Tertiary Care Hospitals across the province, including Lahore, will be shifted to solar system.
In addition, after the government tried to privatize the teaching hospitals, it has now decided to hand over the primary healthcare to the private sector by setting up regional health authorities. The Regional Health Authorities will be run by people from
the private sector. In the first phase, the implementation of MTI at Mayo Hospital and Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital, Sialkot was considered.
Meanwhile, important decision has been taken to save health facilities from power breakdown, mission to generate cheap electricity and save electricity, the Punjab Energy Department has reached an agreement with ten universities. Punjab Governor
Chaudhry Sarwar says that in future all universities will have to be shifted to solar energy.
According to details, a memorandum of understanding was signed at Governor House Punjab to transfer ten universities to solar energy. Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said that the mission must be to generate cheap electricity and save electricity.
Methods will have to be adopted, the government has made difficult decisions in the long run.
Provincial Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik said that the government hands and feet were tied as the previous governments went, but the present one had to made difficult decisions. It was decided at the ceremony that soon all the remaining public
and private universities would also be converted to solar energy.
Chief Minister Usman Bazdar said that Orange train will run on solar energy, schools and colleges will also be converted to solar energy and work on these projects is underway.
