LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Thursday said that a project of special government cancer hospital was in the pipeline.

She was chairing the Cancer Surgery Conference as chief guest at Shaikh Zayed Hospital here.

She congratulated the organizers for holding a conference on a very important topic.

She said the government was facilitating cancer patients, adding that past governments made no planning to facilitate them.

The minister said that diagnostics and other services were being provided for breast cancer screening at Mian Mir Hospital Lahore.

"When we took over, we found out that over 50 per cent positions were lying vacant in Punjab hospitals," she said.

She added that the government hired over 32,000 doctors, nurses and paramedics.

The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar wanted to give best quality healthcare services to every person in the province.

She said that the people had to be provided top class facilities in health and education for a true welfare state.

She disclosed that Punjab’s all 29.3 million families would be provided Sehat Sahulat cards with a cost of Rs. 80 billion by December 2021.

She said that the Nishter-2 was being established in Multan after four decades.

Chairman Sheikh Zayed Hospital Professor Dr Mateen Izhar, Administrator Dr Akbar Hussain, Professor Dr Haroon, Professor Dr Javed Majeed were present whereas Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University Professor Khalid Masood Gondal and others joined the meeting via video link.

The guest speakers shared findings and experiences on prevention of cancer.