LAHORE, Nov 3: PML president Shujaat Husain, Senator Mushahid Husain and members of the Punjab cabinet will observe Eid in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP to show solidarity with the affectees.

This was stated by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi while talking to reporters at the Jinnah Hospital where he went to inquire after the health of the patients who had been shifted here from the affected areas. He also distributed Eid gifts among the patients.

He said the provincial government was adopting effective measures for rehabilitation of the affectees. The hospital established by Punjab in Balakot had started functioning, he said.

The chief minister said the government had so far spent Rs1.75 billion on the relief of the affected people, and was continuously sending them relief goods which they needed. He said a large number of people were contacting the government for participating in the ‘Adopt A Family’ programme.

Health secretary Javed Malik said two units of wards had been reserved in the Jinnah Hospital for the quake victims. The doctors were operating upon the patients who were being provided with full medical cover.

Earlier, the chief minister went around the hospital wards and individually inquired from the patients about the level of medical cover they were being given.

They expressed satisfaction over the facilities, but asked the chief minister to arrange for their accommodation after their recovery.

The chief minister gave every patient Rs10,000, and sent gifts to the patients in the Services Hospital.