President pledges basic health facilities to masses
Bureau Report

LAHORE—President General Pervez Musharraf Saturday said government has chalked out an inclusive national strategy for social sector development provision of educational and health facilities to the countrymen at their door step.
Addressing the annual convention of Fatima Jinnah Medical College, and later inaugurating Sports Complex at Atchison College, the president said under this strategy the targets of supply of clean drinking water and electricity to every nook and corner of the country will be achieved by 2007. Governor Punjab Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool, Corps Commander Lahore Lt Gen Shafatullah Shah, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Fatima Jinnah Medical College Principal Professor Doctor Akbar Chaudhry, members of the college faculty and parents of the successful students were present on the occasion.
The president went on to say that huge amount of funds have been allocated for these projects to ensure their timely completion. However, we must review the poor performance of our country in heath and education field and this will only be possible when we will address our mistakes. Musharraf also said that government was also trying to muster a harmony between English medium education institutions as well Urdu medium and for this reason a program was under progress.
He highlighted the incumbent government has raised the allocation for Higher Education Commission in the education budget to Rs 14 billion in comparison with previous amount of Rs 600 million. While on health sector front, our major emphasis is on rural areas, this comprises 70 percent of Pakistani populace and the citizens of these areas face huge problems due to unavailability of health facilities, he said and added the other reason behind lack of health facilities in rural areas is lack of spirit shown by young doctors to serve in villages and small remote hamlets. “This is a major factor behind the lack of medical facilities in rural areas, however the efforts of Punjab government in provision of health as well as education facilities throughout the province are laudable,” he noted. The government, he said is paying special attention on the development of rural health centers as well as district and tehsil level hospitals where we are trying to provide medicines as well as doctors to facilitate the people.
Musharraf also said that government was also planning to establish Clear Health Center in fourteen districts of Punjab on par with the one established in Rahim Yar Khan. He urged the medical students to pay full attention to their studies and use their potential in serving the humanity.
He urged budding female doctors to use their potential to full capacity instead of opting for sitting at home so that they could serve humanity as well as nation. Shedding light on National Volunteers Movement, the president said that the youth have to prove themselves as a strong unit and can take up the challenge of difficult task in natural disasters. Whereas women will also be welcomed to join NVM and they will be provided all facilities ranging from boarding to food and travel.
The president also hailed the services of people who were voluntarily serving in quake-torn areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP. The field hospitals working in affected areas are treating people with the help of United Nations as well as non governmental organisations and they are being assisted by Pakistan Armed forces as well. President also hailed the spirit and performance of medical staff who served in the quake affected areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as NWFP. Later, he conferred Gold medals to the top position holders of Fatima Jinnah Medical college. Meanwhile, addressing the inauguration ceremony of a Sports complex at Aithcison College, the president said that besides paying attention on higher education government was also concentrating on primary, secondary and technical education.