SIALKOT: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Punjab Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resources Muhammad Manshaullah Butt on Saturday inaugurated the project for revamping and upgrading the Social Security Hospital on Daska Road, Sialkot.
Deputy Commissioner (DC), Sialkot Awais Mushtaq, Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Syeda Nosheen Ifthar and Gulnaz Shujat, Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) Chaudhry Faisal Ikram, Chaudhry Tariq Subhani, Naveed Ashraf, Rana Arif Harnah and Shakeela Arthur, Secretary Social Security Danish Iftikhar, Commissioner Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) Zulfiqar Ali Kharl, Director General Labour Syeda Kulsoom, business leader Riaz-ud-Din Sheikh, representatives of the labour community and media were also present on the occasion.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the up-gradation of the Social Security Hospital was an important step towards providing quality healthcare facilities to factory workers and their families in Sialkot. He said millions of people in Sialkot were associated with factories and the industrial sector, adding that provision of quality medical facilities to workers was the government’s primary responsibility.
The Defence Minister said Sialkot was the only city in Pakistan with a distinct identity at the global level. He said the city’s industry was playing an important role in strengthening the national economy, making it essential to provide basic facilities, including healthcare, to industrial workers. He said the upgraded Social Security Hospital was expected to develop into a modern healthcare institution capable of meeting the medical needs of industrial workers and their families. The initiative would ensure better, modern and accessible healthcare services for workers and their dependents in Sialkot, he added.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif said systematic measures had been initiated in Punjab to combat corruption, describing it as a menace that had deeply penetrated the country. He stressed that combating corruption was a collective responsibility.
Referring to recent developments at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), he said the situation there had occurred because of corruption and the establishment of what he described as a nexus aimed at financial gains. He said saving human lives should have remained the primary objective, but corruption and personal financial interests had allegedly been given preference. He termed the incidents at PIMS a “wake-up call” and a warning that immediate corrective measures were required.
The Defence Minister said Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had taken notice of the major tragedy at PIMS and expressed hope that the action taken by the government would produce tangible results. He said significant improvement had been witnessed in the health sector in Punjab during the last two and a half years, adding that the government was taking measures to bring healthcare facilities to the doorsteps of the people.
He said there was a plan to expand cancer treatment facilities in Gujranwala, while the 500-bed district hospital in Sialkot was also being expanded. The hospital would also have a heart surgery facility, he added.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif thanked the federal and Punjab governments for providing funds for development projects in Sialkot and said such initiatives would play an important role in providing better and quality healthcare facilities to the people.
Punjab Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resources Muhammad Manshaullah Butt said the Punjab government was taking practical measures to provide the best possible medical facilities to labourers and industrial workers. He said the up-gradation of the Social Security Hospital was an important step in this regard.
The provincial minister said the industrial community and working class of Sialkot were the backbone of the country’s economy. He said the government’s priority was to provide modern, quality and timely healthcare facilities to factory workers and their families.
Manshaullah Butt said that, in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the welfare of workers and provision of quality healthcare facilities were among the top priorities of the provincial government. He said all possible resources were being utilized to make social security institutions more effective and modern. He further said the welfare of workers was a source of strength for the country’s economy and the government was working with all relevant institutions to address the problems faced by industrial workers.
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