‘Govt has good intentions’

Yasmin denies any negligence in treatment of NawazBy our correspondent *** News deskLAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said the provincial government has good intentions and it has shown no negligence in provision of the best treatment facilities to incarcerated PML-N supremo.Flanked by spokesman for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Gill, she regretted that both Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were doing politics over the treatment issue of former premier Nawaz Sharif. She said the government was providing required medical treatment to the jailed PML-N supremo.She said that at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, the best treatment facilities were available for the heart patients. She said both these hospitals match international standards of healthcare, adding that people of Pakistan received treatment from these medical centres. Despite that, she said there was no hospital that could meet the standards, set by the former PM.She told the media that after consultation with senior most doctors and personal doctor of Nawaz Sharif Dr Adnan, medicines for diabetes, blood pressure and angina were being provided to the convicted premier.Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister’s spokesman Shahbaz Gill visited the PML-N leader in jail and offered him provision of the best possible healthcare in the country. He also reportedly carried a letter of a senior government official for the high-profile prisoner in this respect. Nawaz Sharif was quoted to have sought some time for responding to the letter. However, Shahbaz Gill was not available for comments.Dr Shahbaz Gill told Nawaz Sharif that in the cardiology institutes of Lahore and Rawalpindi, machines of international standards and expert doctors were available. He said that at PIC Lahore, around 45,000 patients receive medical treatment every month, whereas at RIC, the number is around 60,000.About statement of PPP leader Khursheed Shah, Dr Shahbaz said he was not acting like a seasoned politician and said that instead of doing politics over the health of Nawaz Sharif, he must realise that there was only one doctor in Sindh, for 3,500 patients.Referring to the deaths of children in Tharparkar, he said last year around 500 children died of malnutrition and lack of health facilities in the district. Shahbaz Gill said no politicking was being done over the health issue of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.The two PTI leaders held the press conference after Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto met former PM at Kot Lakhpat jail. Gill said there was nothing lacking in the medical facilities being given to Nawaz. He said Nawaz Sharif could get his treatment done from a hospital of his choice. "Bilawal Bhutto offered Nawaz to have his treatment done from a hospital in Karachi, and we do not object to it," said the Punjab CM's spokesperson.

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