Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has assured full support for health facilities and services for the Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC). She met China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa at her office, People’s Block Civil Secretariat, here on Friday.
Asim Bajwa proposed that a mother & child hospital as well as one nursing college may be developed alongside the CPEC in Punjab. The minister said the department will work closely with the CPEC Authority especially the projects in cities around CPEC routes in Punjab.
She further said that location reviews may be made in future meetings. The minister nominated Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Special Secretary Ajmal Bhatti as focal person for coordination with the CPEC Authority.
“Punjab is laying special emphasis on mother and child health facilities. We have aligned our projects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we are developing state-of-the-art mother and child hospitals in Attock, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar and Rajanpur. We plan to develop Nursing Colleges with these hospitals. South Punjab is under special focus as development indicators require serious work in these districts,” Dr Yasmin Rashid said.
The minister gave a brief roundup of the health initiatives taken in Punjab in the last one year. She added that Punjab has brought over 26,000 human resources into the system and is also increasing the strength of beds in the burn centres in the province.