LAHORE, Nov 14: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that only 600,000 workers had been registered in the province but a large number of workers left unregistered could not benefit from free treatment facilities at Social Security hospitals.

He said the remaining workers would also be registered so that they could benefit from free treatment facilities.

He said this at a meeting during a visit to the Social Security Hospital in Manga Mandi.

The chief minister said that Social Security Hospital in Manga Mandi was providing good quality facilities but the workers were not benefiting as 60 beds, out of 150, were vacant.

He said that in addition to industrial workers, private patients should be admitted to Social Security hospitals to generate financial resources for the benefit of workers.

The ratio of labour and private patients should, however, be fixed and workers should be given preference for provision of medical facilities.

He said that CT scan and MRI machine as well as other modern equipment should be bought for the hospital and highly qualified specialist doctors be appointed here. He also took note of costly tiles in the construction of hospital and said that austerity should be observed in development projects in future so that maximum funds could be utilised for medical facilities.

Social Security Hospital Administrator Brig Liaquat Ahmad (retd) said that all necessary facilities were available for the treatment of workers at the hospital free of charge.