LAHORE: The Punjab caretaker cabinet has approved Rs32,000 as minimum salary of workers in the province.

Presided over by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the cabinet meeting stressed implementation of the decision to provide relief to the workers.

The cabinet also approved free travel on the metro bus service and orange line metro train to the disabled, the elderly and students. It also approved the committee’s recommendations regarding admission policy for session 2023-24 in the government medical and dental colleges.

The formation of a cabinet committee to deal with smog was approved and the chief minister ordered effective measures to deal with the issue.

The cabinet gave approval to the launch of an endowment fund worth Rs1bn for the welfare of journalists and their families.

The cabinet was briefed about the mega development projects of south Punjab, including the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and road repair and maintenance schemes, and Lahore, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar motorway & Multan ring road projects. The CM ordered completion of the projects in south Punjab soon.

It was decided to entrust the responsibility of making the dispensaries functional and operational on the premises of the high courts of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and Multan to the Punjab Health Facilities Management Company (PHFMC). It was decided to expand the scope of Punjab’s education landscape under the school adoption programme.

The cabinet also extended the contracts of the employees of the Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC), Multan, and appointed a chairman and member for the LDA Commission.

It approved transfer of the management of Haji Abdul Qayyum Teaching Hospital Sahiwal from the specialised healthcare & medical education department to the primary & secondary health department.

The provincial policy for safeguarding the nationwide network of oil pipelines system, names of recipients of the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal and President Police Medal and the establishment of the Punjab Mental Health Authority under the Punjab Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2014 were approved as well by the cabinet.

Children’s Hospital: The signing ceremony of an agreement between Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education and Child Life Foundation was held at the Children’s Hospital, Multan, in the presence of Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

According to the agreement, the emergency of the Children’s Hospital will be improved. The Child Life Foundation will ensure the provision of medical facilities in the emergency of the hospital. The agreement was signed by Secretary Health Ali Jan and officials of the Child Life Foundation.

Talking to media latter, Naqvi said it was the first time the cabinet meeting had been held in Multan. “The entire cabinet will be present here at Multan for two days. Steps are being taken for the improvement of hospitals. Nishtar Hospital 2 will also be completed this year and emergency will be made functional in three months in the Child Care.”

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023