PM Pledges Free Medical Care For Deserving Patients
— July 22, 2024
ISLAMABAD (AIA) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed the government’s determination to provide state-of-the-art, free healthcare facilities to deserving patients from across the country on Sunday.
Addressing a groundbreaking ceremony at the Jinnah Medical Complex, the PM said the complex would be the region’s best medical centre, offering free medical treatment to those in need.
“This is the gift of the coalition government not only for the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad but also for the people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan as well,” PM Sharif said. He affimed the government’s commitment to providing 100% free medical facilities to deserving patients.
He said that once completed, the medical complex would offer the world’s best healthcare facilities for heart, kidneys, lungs, cancer, and other diseases. Furthermore, a modern first-aid emergency section will also be established, including an air ambulance facility for patients from hard-hit areas.
The PM stated that nursing schools and laboratories would also be established in the hospital, providing free lab testing facilities to deserving patients.
PM emphasised that this model aligns with PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s vision to provide free medical facilities to the poor while providing paid facilities to the well-off people in the same place.
He thanked Chairman HBL Sultan Ali Allana and Prince Rahim Agha Khan for providing free technical consultancy for the project. He also praised the decades-long services of the Agha Khan Foundation for the country and directed the authorities to complete the project within a year.
“Although one year is a challenging deadline for the huge project, with determination and hard work, it was quite possible,” he said, issuing directives for continuous work to meet the deadline. He assured that there would be no funding problems from the government side.
The premier expressed his gratitude to Ali Randhawa, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, for providing land for the project. He also thanked the finance minister, finance secretary, and planning minister for their support.
Regarding compensation for those affected by the land acquisition, the PM directed the provision of a one-window facility to resolve their problems without delay.
Health Coordinator Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, MNAs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Hanif Abbasi, and Raja Khurrum Nawaz also addressed the occasion. Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, was also present.