LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz presided over the second consecutive day of cabinet and departmental accountability sessions, receiving extensive briefings and reviewing progress on ongoing projects across all government departments.

According to the briefing, Mines and Minerals department set a historic benchmark by generating Rs33 billion in revenue, the highest in Punjab’s history.

“The performance review meeting showcased unprecedented achievements, rigorous scrutiny and several decisive future reforms,” says an official announcement.

It says health initiatives under the Punjab government have delivered extraordinary results, with 16.5 million patients treated through Clinic on Wheels (CoW) service, while 4.672 million patients benefited from the Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics.

Additionally, the Maryam Nawaz Hospital successfully conducted more than 16,700 surgeries.

Mines, Minerals dept generates `historic’ Rs33bn in revenue; telemedicine to connect doctors and patients

The meeting was informed that more than 17,000 patients suffering from tuberculosis, hepatitis and Type-1 diabetes received home delivery of essential medicines.

During the recent floods, 1.25 million patients were provided with medical care through medical camps, CoW, field hospitals and through innovative “Clinics on Boats” service.

Authorities concerned briefed that under the Mines and Minerals Ration Card Programme, 17,655 workers received ration cards and Rs120 million were transferred directly to workers through more than 40,000 bank transactions. “For the first time in Punjab, nutritious lunches were provided to over 40,000 special children, while more than 36,000 children received free and immediate medical treatment at special education centers.”

On disaster preparedness, the chief minister directed officials to carry out immediate, war-footing measures so as to counter potential flooding across Punjab. She directed departments to utilise temporary water tanks for rainwater harvesting and take urgent measures to address reduced water-carrying capacity in link canals.

The Irrigation department received conditional approval to hire staff as needed during flood emergencies.

The meeting was further informed that 13 Sahulat Bazaars are fully functional in Lahore, while 33 more will be operational across Punjab by December.

Officials concerned briefed that Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics are witnessing a significant rise in patient flow due to improved service quality with 3.5 million patients treated in OPDs alone.

Authorities concerned briefed that Punjab launched its first-ever Community Health Inspector Programme, with a pilot project registering 636,180 families and 3,036,245 individuals across 570,777 households. They further apprised the CM that inspectors are collecting vital data on education, health, agriculture, socio-economic status and other indicators.

The CM also set June 30 as deadline to fully outsource 313 rural health centers in the province. Authorities further briefed that for the first time, a telemedicine system will connect doctors and patients across Punjab, while a comprehensive Health Information Management System (HIMS) will be deployed in all hospitals, enabling both doctors and patients to access medical data digitally.

The chief minister also ordered immediate provision of essential medical equipment to district and tehsil headquarters hospitals. The session also marked the launch of Punjab Value Addition Financing for the Pink Salt Project, under which interest-free loans of up to Rs50 million will be provided to investors in the Salt Range.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2025