Government is determined to provide 100% free medical facilities to deserving patients: PM

• JMC to serve residents of twin cities, KP, AJK and GB: PM.
• Prime Minister says ambulance service will be started for hard-to-reach areas.
• “Deserving patients will benefit from 100% free laboratory tests.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government is determined to provide modern free healthcare services to deserving patients from across the country at the Jinnah Medical Complex in Islamabad, which he said would be one of the best medical facilities in the region.

Addressing the foundation ceremony of the complex, the chief minister said the facility will provide 100% free medical services.

“This is the coalition government’s gift not only to the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but also to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

The Premier said that once completed, the medical complex will offer the best healthcare facilities in the world with various disease departments related to heart, kidney, lung, cancer and others.

He said a modern first aid department with an ambulance for patients in hard-to-reach areas would also be set up in the hospital.

Chief Minister Shehbaz pledged that nursing colleges and laboratories will also be set up in the hospital and deserving patients will benefit from 100% free laboratory tests.

The prime minister emphasized that this was the same model envisioned by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif to provide free medical facilities only to the poor and paid facilities to the affluent people in the same place.

He specifically thanked Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Chairman Sultan Ali Allana and Prince Rahim Agha Khan for providing technical consultancy support free of charge for the project. He paid tribute to the Agha Khan Foundation’s decades of service to the country.

Chief Minister Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to complete the project in one year.

“Although one year is a demanding deadline for the huge project, but with determination and hard work, it was quite possible,” he said, while issuing instructions to continue work on the project round the clock to meet the deadline.

He assured that there will be no funding problems from the government side.

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his gratitude to the chief commissioner of Islamabad Ali Randhawa for providing land for the project and to the finance minister, finance minister and planning minister for their support to the project.

As far as the compensation of the affected land is concerned, the Prime Minister directed to provide a window facility to the affected people to resolve their issues without any delay.