LAHORE: Continuing his project opening spree, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday dashed to Chiniot and Okara districts and inaugurated various health sector schemes there.

The projects include hepatitis filter clinics, incinerators, mobile health units, CT Scan facilities and new cardiac and other blocks in the revamped district headquarters hospitals there.

Despite rush at the health facilities and a hot day of May during Ramazan, the CM inspected various medical sections and inquired after patients and asked their attendants if they were facing any difficulty in getting healthcare.

He also briefly addressed the public gathered there to see him in hospital grounds, where atmosphere was quite suffocating because of overcrowding under a low-height canopy erected there.

Mr Sharif promised to establish more health facilities provided the people again voted the PML-N into power.

For commuting between helipads and hospitals, instead of using his jeep the chief minister along with ministers Khwaja Imran Nazir and Ali Raza Gilani rode the vans specified for his security and protocol teams.

Though he took back seat, the people standing along both sides of roads would wave him as they somehow got a glimpse of him and chant the PML-N’s oft-repeated slogan of dekho dekho kaun aya, sher aya sher aya (see who has come -- it’s tiger).

Mr Sharif who had got annoyed with Chiniot district administration for driving protocol vehicles into the DHQ hospital contrary to his directions, asked the Okara administration at the helipad to ensure that no vehicle except his own was allowed into the healthcare facility.

Both at Chiniot and Okara, for criticizing political rivals he laced his rather brief speeches with improvised couplets like zamanay mein Punjab ka nam hua, jhoota Niazi ka her ilzam hua, Zardari her jaga nakam hua (Punjab’s name rose to prominence in the world, (PTI chief) Niazi’s each allegation proved to be false, and (PPP co-chairperson) Zardari failed at each front).

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2018