PM Shehbaz plans to convert Islamabad into healthcare model

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken a big step to modernize the healthcare system of Islamabad so as to serve as the model for the rest of the country.

During a review meeting of the Ministry of National Health Services, he directed the officers to make efforts for expanding access to healthcare in the country; constitutionally, the prime minister stressed the need to prioritize the provision of quality medical facilities to all citizens so that treatment is accessible to all.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre, a marquee project in the government  scheme to augment healthcare services.

PM Shehbaz directed the authorities to accelerate construction and kick off the pre-qualification process for the procurement of medical and surgical equipment, with the process to be overseen by expert consultants for ensuring transparency.

He also ordered a third-party audit of the construction work and equipment procurement for the Jinnah Medical Complex as well as initiation of the process of approval for the charter of the university being set up through the complex.

The Jinnah Medical Complex has been established as a company under Section 42 of the Companies Act, whereas its steering committee has already approved the master plan. Recruitment for project management and implementation units has also started, thus marking a great milestone in the development of the project.

Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazir Tarar, and Ahsan Cheema along with the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for National Health, Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, attended the meeting in presence of senior government officials.

The commitment of the prime minister toward improving healthcare services is clear, with the pledge to make free those services for all citizens of this country in the future, which is a progressive movement in the amelioration of healthcare in this country.