LAHORE, Aug 21: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said that a helicopter service will be introduced in the Lahore region for transporting people injured during natural calamities and other accidents.

He made the announcement at a meeting in the Mayo Hospital here on Saturday. The meeting was attended among others by health secretary Suhail Ahmed, Mayo Hospital Chief Executive Dr Mumtaz Hassan and MS Dr Fayaz Ranjha.

He directed the health department to work out the modalities of the service and submit their recommendations for his approval.

The chief minister further disclosed that the service would be initiated in Lahore in the first phase and introduced in Multan later on. From the two cities, helicopters would help meet the requirements of the entire province, he added.

He directed the Mayo Hospital administration to initiate a training programme for the staff required for the helicopter service.

Earlier, the hospital administrators briefed the CM about a "surgical tower" to be constructed in the hospital at a cost of Rs380 million, where quality training would be imparted to doctors. The new block would have 250 beds and 16 operation theatres.

Meanwhile, presiding over a meeting held to review recreational projects, the chief minister said that an Eye Max Theatre and a theme park would be established over 92 kanals opposite the Gaddafi Stadium.

The meeting was informed that the theatre and the theme park would have a food court, a library and a museum. The theatre would have a 90-foot high screen, where documentaries would be shown.

Additional Chief Secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari, P&D chairman Salman Ghani, finance secretary Salman Siddique and C&W secretary Sibtain Fazale Haleem attended the meeting.-APP