Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)) senior leader Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said the country was passing through difficult times and it was only through good governance, self-accountability and corruption-free practices that could bring the country out of this mess.
"The tug of war going on for the last one and a half year between federal and provincial government has ended with the transfer of Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) Lahore to the Punjab," he said while speaking here at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) after the inauguration of faculty lodges and multipurpose examination hall complex at the university.
UHS Vice Chancellor Professor Malik Hussain Mubbashar, senior faculty members and students were present on the occasion. Dar said that PML-N had assured the federal government that if its demand of handing over SZH to Punjab was fulfilled, it would support the federal government over the passage of 20th Amendment. "We promised to the PPP-led federal government that as soon as SZH is transferred to Punjab, the provincial assembly would pass a resolution within 48 hours in favour of the Drug Regulatory Authority to be established at the centre for exercising co-ordinated control over the drugs manufactured in Pakistan or imported from other countries", he added.
He said that notification was issued to transfer the hospital on Tuesday evening and the Punjab Assembly passed the resolution in favour of the Drug Regulatory Authority within 16 hours instead of 48 hours. He hoped that SZH would provide better health facilities to the public under the control of the Punjab government.
Senator Ishaq Dar further said that because of the UHS the medical profession and education of Pakistan was once again being recognised internationally. He assured the government would provide full support for the establishment of new campus of the University at Kala Shah Kaku and funds would be allocated for the purpose this year. He reiterated to make UHS Kala Shah Kaku campus an Institute of Excellence.
UHS Vice Chancellor Professor Malik Hussain Mubbashar said that UHS had entered into strategic partnerships with renowned international universities including University of Liverpool, UK University of Glasgow, UK, University College Dublin, Ireland, and University of Eastern Finland.
He said that 10 students would be sent to Liverpool every year for PhD in Clinical Sciences. He further said that an institute of research excellence would be established at Kala Shah Kaku campus in collaboration with University of Liverpool, UK, to develop a cohort of young researchers who would carry on translational research in cancers, obesity, genetics, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, biomedical engineering, neuro-sciences and infectious diseases. UHS would also start a diploma in humanitarian assistance this year in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, Professor Mubbashar added.