FAISALABAD, April 17 The Punjab government will provide funds for upgrading the emergency of Allied Hospital to a 300-bed facility and a girls' hostel with a capacity for students of the Punjab Medical College.

This was stated by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah at the seventh PMC convocation here on Saturday.

He said the Punjab government had been focusing on health and education sectors on which a good amount was being utilised. Funds would be earmarked also for upgradation of the Allied Hospital's radiotherapy ward, he said. Besides increasing the health-sector budget, he said, the provincial administration was supplying free medicines to patients at the public hospitals.

Another major step was regularisation of the services of the medical officers, specialists, senior registrars and medical teachers, he said.

The PMC students had been urging the college administration to arrange convocation for the last three days. Principal Dr Riaz Husain, who was appointed a couple of months ago, organised the event and managed to award degrees to more than 300 students. Position-holders were awarded medals and other incentives.

Dr Husain highlighted the achievements of the college as well as the problems the administration has been facing. He appreciated the Punjab government's services for uplift of health sector.