LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid told the Punjab Assembly on Monday that 17 million doses of coronavirus vaccine would shortly be available in Punjab and the people above 65 years of age would be given shots on priority.
Responding to written questions about her department, she said the vaccine would be available to the general public very soon.
She said the government was planning to upgrade the Jampur tehsil headquarters hospital and accused the previous government of doing nothing for upgrade of the health sector.
She told the house that the incumbent government had recruited 32,000 paramedics through the Punjab Public Service Commission.
Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, who chaired the house in the absence of Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, directed the health minister to arrange vaccine for the lawmakers on a priority basis for the parliamentarians had to meet people in their respective constituencies and were more exposed to the risk of contracting Covid-19.
Responding to opposition members’ criticism of the deteriorating law and order in the province, Law Minister Raja Basharat assured the house that practical steps were being taken for the improvement of the situation.
Earlier, he laid audit reports on the Accounts of Revenue Receipts of Government of Punjab for the financial year 2016-17 and 2019-20 and the Appropriation Accounts of the Forest Department for the year 2018-19.
Earlier, contrary to the speaker’s pledge that he won’t allow proceedings of the Punjab Assembly until the government come up with the Emergency Services (Amendment) Bill, the house met here on Monday and transacted business.
Mr Elahi during proceedings of the first day of the 30th session (last Thursday) warned the government that the house proceedings would not be allowed to progress until the bill is not introduced. He had said that as the custodian of the house it was his responsibility to get implemented the assurances given in the assembly.
Law Minister Raja, while objecting to a private member’s bill on the emergency services in the 29th session had argued that it was a money bill that could not be tabled by a private member and had assured the house that the government would table its own bill on the issue on the very first day of the next (30th) session.
As the minister failed to keep his promise and the proposed government bill was not made part of the agenda for the day (last Thursday), the speaker put off the house proceedings for three days disallowing transaction of any business, with the warning that the proceedings would progress only after the bill is made part of the agenda.
When the house resumed its business after three days here on Monday, Mr Elahi was absent and Mr Mazari chaired the sitting, which completed its agenda for the day without questioning the ‘missing’ bill.
Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2021
