LAHORE, Dec 22: The Punjab government is considering to make one-year service in rural areas compulsory for fresh doctors. This was stated by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi while talking to Brunei ambassador Abdul Jalil who called on him here on Thursday.

The chief minister said the government had spent huge funds on the improvement of health centres and other related infrastructure in rural areas during the last three years. But such efforts could not generate required results without the availability of qualified and experienced doctors in villages.

The government had now decided to improve terms and conditions of service for doctors to be posted in villages. This would make the jobs in rural areas so attractive that every doctor and paramedic would prefer to serve there, he said.

He said the government had also decided to establish housing colonies for the doctors serving in rural areas, and to provide them vehicles for easy mobility.

The chief minister also informed the envoy of development activities being carried out in education, industrial and other sectors.

He said both Brunei and Pakistan were tied with strong bonds of friendship and brotherhood. Brunei had always supported Pakistan’s standpoint at the international level.

The decisions taken about joint investment by both the countries during Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s recent visit to Brunei had further strengthened their relations, he said.

Mr Jalil said the people of his country held the friendship with Pakistan in high esteem. Pakistan was providing valuable training facilities to his country in different walks of life, he said.

He lauded the provincial government’s development strategy, and said a large number of Pakistani doctors were serving in public and private hospitals in Brunei.