QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has said that his government has declared an emergency in health and education sectors to provide maximum and speedy relief to people.

Talking to journalists after inaugurating the new outpatient department (OPD) building at Civil Hospital here on Saturday, he said the coalition government would introduce reforms in these sectors as the people had already suffered a lot due to negligence of previous governments.

The construction of the new building, which has a capacity of 2,000 patients, has been completed in time.

The chief minister said it was for the first time in Balochistan’s history that a provincial government had released funds for medicines to increase the health department’s efficiency.

CM inaugurates new OPD building in Quetta’s Civil Hospital

He said 14 new emergency spots would be set up on national highways to provide medical care to the victims of accidents. He said the government had acted against unregistered labs and clinics and sealed dozens of them in the last four months.

Mr Alyani said the issues of doctors and paramedical staff were also being addressed.

He said the safe return of Dr Ibrahim Khalil was a good omen as the people had witnessed the groups involved in kidnappings purged out in the past eight months.

In reply to a question about the Quetta Safe City Project, he said his government had given importance to this project because the criminals could be countered with the use of technology.

He offered the doctors to pursue private practice in government hospitals.

The chief minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan had pledged to build a cancer hospital in Balochistan, but the provincial government would also build cancer and cardiac hospitals in the province.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2019