LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar launched the Rescue 1122 service for 79 tehsils of the province on Tuesday.

In a ceremony at the CM Office, 22 new ambulances were handed over to officers of 11 tehsils by Mr Buzdar himself in the first phase.

Speaking on the occasion, he said new ambulances had been provided for timely delivery of emergency service as new rescue stations had been built in 79 tehsils and towns of the province. The service would start in these tehsils by June this year, he added.

CM Buzdar said a service structure had also been devised for the rescuers to help them get promotions to further streamline the emergency service. Punjab would be the first province to introduce an air ambulance service, which would give emergency medical assistance a new identity as its scope would be extended to the remote areas, he claimed.

Says service structure devised for rescuers to streamline promotions

“Every life is precious and timely treatment is the right of every person,” the CM underscored.

Earlier, the rescue service was available at the district headquarters level across the province.

Under the new development, the Rescue 1122 service has started in Sharaqpur Sharif, Safdarabad, Narang Mandi, Nowshera Virkan, Nurpur, Quaidabad, Kahror Pakka, Renala Khurd, Pindi Bhattian, Darya Khan and Jalalpur Pirwala tehsils. Each tehsil-level rescue station would comprise two ambulances and a 29-member staff.

Provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Khalid Mahmood, MNAs Sanaullah Mastikhel and Shaukat Bhatti, SACM Hasaan Khawar, the secretary information, the DG Rescue 1122 and others were present.

Meanwhile, the CM condemned Marriyum Aurangzeb’s remarks on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a statement, he regretted that the coarseness was the favourite political modus operandi of the PML-N as the party had been involved in using insulting words against former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto too.

Marriyum Aurangzeb had hurt every Pakistani and proved that the PML-N was devoid of moral, political and democratic norms, Mr Buzdar asserted. They (the PML-N leaders) should apologise to the nation for nasty words, he said and emphasized that no dignified person could choose such expression. He described the PML-N’s ranting as the pot calling the kettle black as PM Imran Khan was the leader of millions of Pakistanis who loved him.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2022