Punjab administers cervical cancer vaccine to 6.5million girls

 Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has claimed that Punjab has become the first province to administer cervical cancer vaccination to 6.5 million girls, setting what she has described as a national record.

Maryam Nawaz chaired a four-hour review meeting, receiving detailed briefings from eight major departments.

She also ordered the speedy completion of the Cath Lab project and directed health officials to expand data collection, with 32,000 households already surveyed in a pilot phase.

Read Also: Over three million parents refuse cervical cancer vaccination

She especially directed the Special Education Department to formulate a project for the welfare of special people along with their education.

The chief minister applauded the Health Department for its response during recent floods, noting that 1.15 million people were treated in affected areas.

Officials told her that 174 snakebite cases had been reported, but all patients survived after being given anti-venom at relief camps.

On transport, Maryam Nawaz ordered that 1,115 electric buses should become operational by December, with charging stations to be established across the province. She approved a standard design for bus stops.

She also approved a schedule for the launch of electrobus program in various districts, besides directing the authorities concerned to start SRT project in the province as soon as possible.

The Chief Minister noted that WASA (Water and Sanitation Agency) had expanded from five cities to 19 within a year and a half. She set a target for WASA to be present in 25 districts by the end of December, and emphasised the need to accelerate work on more than 5,000 water filtration plants.

She directed to provide bottled water to every household to relieve them of the hardship of bringing water from remote areas.

She further instructed the Housing Minister Bilal Yasin to personally visit and review the water filtration plants, besides including water filtration plants in KPIs of Deputy Commissioners.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to complete work in 15 cities before monsoon under Punjab Development Program.

Officials briefed her that the first phase of Lahore Development Project would be completed by 30 November, with over 4,600 streets already renovated.

She directed PHA to plant bamboo forests, besides further activating Parks and Horticulture Authorities (PHA) in different cities of Punjab.

On rural development, official reported that Model Village Project has been launched in 472 villages across the province, with the highest number in South Punjab.

Chief Minister Punjab directed the authorities to begin the Placer Gold Project, under which the profit earned should go to the people of Punjab.

She was further briefed that “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Ration cards” had been issued to 11,000 miners in Punjab, and the target of 25,000 cards would be completed this month.

Officials added that contracts for pink salt had been re-auctioned, increasing revenue fivefold, and that marketing efforts were underway in the United States, Europe and the UAE.