LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to come up with a legal measure for averting the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC)-like incidents and inculcating a sense of security among medical and paramedical staff of hospitals.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order here on Friday to review the progress made in the case of vandalism at the PIC and measures taken for hospital’s functioning.

It was decided that a law would be introduced in order to provide necessary security to doctors, paramedical staff and buildings of hospitals.

The chief minister directed to present a health professionals security bill in the next meeting of the cabinet after fulfilling the requirements in this respect. He said security would be provided to the hospitals, doctors and paramedical staff and no one would be allowed to torture doctors, paramedical staff and patients.

He directed the officials to take all necessary measures to make the cardiac hospital emergency functional by Friday evening as patients were facing problems due to its closure. Indiscriminate action was being taken against all those involved in hooliganism and all requirements of justice would be fulfilled in this case, he said, adding that the elements that took the law into their hands deserve no leniency.

“Law will come into action against the elements involved in illegal activities,” he said.

The chief minister was told that restoration work at the PIC was being carried out round the clock and hopefully emergency services would be available from Friday night. He was briefed that financial assistance had been provided to the bereaved families whose near and dear ones lost their lives during the lawyers’ attack.

All the doctors and people whose vehicles were damaged during the incident have also been compensated.

Provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Hashim Dogar, Taimur Bhatti, Ansar Majeed Khan, the chief secretary, the IG police, advocate-general, secretaries, Commissioner Lahore Division and others attended the meeting.

ANTI-POLIO DRIVE: The chief minister assigned responsibilities to provincial ministers at the divisional level for the success of the five-day anti-polio campaign to be launched on Dec 16.

The ministers will monitor and provide assistance in the special the campaign. Dr Murad Rass will monitor the campaign in Lahore division, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed in Faisalabad, Yasir Humayun in Rawalpindi and Ansar Majeed Niazi in Sargodha division.

Gujranwala and Sahiwal divisions have been assigned to Muhammad Akhlaq and Nauman Langrial, respectively, while Samiullah Chaudhry, Mohsin Leghari and Muhammad Akhtar will supervise the anti-polio campaign in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan divisions, respectively.

ACHIEVEMENT: Meanwhile, Arshad Nadeem of Mian Chunnu who set a new record in javelin throw in the South Asian Games 2019 called on the chief minister here.

Arshad Nadeem won a gold medal in the SAF games held at Kathmandu by throwing javelin to a distance of 86.29 meters and qualified for Tokyo Olympics.

The chief minister congratulated Nadeem and also gave him a cheque worth Rs500,000 as prize money.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2019