LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday announced a ‘friendly health package’ for Gilgit-Baltistan.

It includes quota of five seats each in 11 nursing colleges of Punjab, 11 ambulances and medical equipment worth Rs200 million.

She made this announcement after a detailed meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Raja Jalal Hussain at the office of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) office.

P&SHD Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Punjab Director General Health Services Dr Haroon Jehangir and Additional Secretary Technical Dr Asim Hussain also accompanied her.

“We have prepared a very precious gift for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan as a goodwill gesture,” Dr Yasmin told media persons. She said the health package would help improve the services being provided to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The package also included seven automated Elisa systems, nine chemistry analyzers, four digital radiography machines, nine X-ray film processors, 22 dental unit components, 22 dental instruments, seven bio-chemistry analyzers, four c-arms, 30 cardiac monitors and 70 cardiac beds.

The quota of five seats each in 11 nursing colleges of Punjab will be given to the students of Gilgit-Baltistan, raising the total number of slots to 55, she said.

The minister said the Punjab government would also establish a state-of-the-art trauma centre for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the tourists for emergency care.

While hailing support of the Punjab government, the Gilgit-Baltistan governor said his people would long remember this friendly gesture.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2019