By NNN-APP,
Lahore, Pakistan : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said the Pakistan army, besides defending national borders and fighting terrorism, was also playing an active role in nation building, especially in health and education sectors.
He was addressing an inaugural ceremony of CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College here Saturday, where Federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Lahore Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Ejaz Ahmed Bakhshi and college Principal Lt. Gen. ® Afzaal Ahmed were also present.
The Prime Minister said promotion of education and health sectors was top priority of the government and it was taking revolutionary measures for the purpose.
He said health sector development was the need of hour. Gilani said his family had long been striving for the promotion of knowledge and to ensure best health care facilities to patients.
He said his forefathers had served in past governments of Pakistan and established a number of educational institutions and hospitals. He said his father was the founder of Nishtar Medical College, Multan.
The Prime Minister said he and former Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool had discussed the idea of a medical college in Lahore during their meetings and he had implemented the idea by setting up Sheikh Zayed Medical and Dental College.
Gilani said a delegation of US-based Pakistani doctors had told him that around 70,000 Pakistan doctors were serving in the USA and Canada and they also offered advisory services for the uplift of Pakistan’s health sector.
The Prime Minister appreciated the college design and structure as well as performance, citing that he was impressed by the quality of education, environment and results.
“The architectural beauty and educational environment reflect the Pakistan army’s dedication to medical education,” he maintained.
He added that CMH Medical College was second to none in terms of its services in dentistry and other medical facilities and hoped the college would serve as a beacon of light.
The Prime Minister also announced a grant of Rs 100 million for CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College.
The Lahore Corps Commander also presented a model of the college to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
In his address, Lt. Gen. Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi, who is also the patron of college, said the college provided a hope to students in the face of a lower number of seats in public sector medical colleges all across Pakistan.
He said its objective was to expand existing levels of healthcare infrastructure and services at CMH Lahore. He said the college, spanning over 39 acres, had been completed within three years at a cost of Rs. 1 billion.
Besides MBBS, he said, the purpose-built campus has a dental college, well-equipped labs, a latest museum with modern teaching facilities and models.
A hostel for 348 students is an important feature as well, he said, adding that the college aims at producing health professionals who are patriotic, dedicated, committed and kind. He said the establishment of CMH Medical College was the first milestone while postgraduate studies would start soon.