SARGODHA:Caretaker Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Jamal Nasir on Tuesday visited Sargodha district and inspected a mock exercise at Langarwala at the Jhelum River to rescue flood affectees.
He said the caretaker Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, was taking concrete measures to facilitate the people of the province. He said that the next week was very important regarding rains and floods, so all departments needed to be alert. “Heavy rains have been predicted in Punjab from August 11 to 14, due to which there is a fear of urban flooding, and so all departments should complete their operational preparations,” he added.
Dr Jamal Nasir said that the Punjab government had completed all arrangements to deal with calamities like floods. The minister was briefed that around 50 villages of Langarwala could be affected in case of flooding in the Jhelum, while the district administration has established four flood relief camps. The minister also inspected stalls set up by departments. Later, the minister also visited THQ Hospital Sahiwal.
The minister reviewed the facilities being provided to patients and checked the attendance and availability of medical staff. He also inspected various wards including emergency and pharmacy and inquired from the patients about treatment and other medical facilities being provided to them.
Taking strict notice of complaints of the people regarding the X-ray unit and pharmacy, he warned the MS to resolve all issues of the hospital immediately. CEO Health Authority Dr. Asad Aslam informed the minister about problems of the hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Capt (retd) Shoaib Ali, ADCR Mohsin Sillahuddin, CEO Health Dr. Asad Aslam, CEO Education Akhtar Abbas Baloch, Assistant Commissioner Sahiwal Muhammad Nawaz, District Welfare Officer Malik Aftab Awan , District Emergency Officer Mazhar Shah and officers of Local Government, Forests, Civil Defence and Livestock were also present.
In the mock exercise, Rescue 1122 personnel in collaboration with other departments demonstrated their skill to rescue people trapped in the river.
Earlier, Health Minister Dr. Jamal Nasir made a surprise inspection of Rural Health Center Jhawarian and expressed his anger over the deteriorating conditions of the hospital. He directed the CEO Health to paint all rural health centers across the district and keep the laboratories functional 24 hours a day. He also asked Dr. Asad Aslam for the details of doctors and paramedical staff in the district to ensure availability of facilities in hospitals.