Rabies Vaccine Available In All Districts: Health Minister Tells PA

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jul, 2020 ) :Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid on Thursday said that rabies vaccine was available in all district hospitals and the government had 25,000 vaccines in store.

Responding to the queries by lawmakers during the Punjab Assembly session, she said another 50,000 rabies vaccine would be made available by the end of this month and there was nothing to panic.

Earlier, Punjab Assembly session started two hours behind its scheduled time of 2 p.m. with Panel of Chairman Mian Shafi Muhammad in the chair. The day's agenda pertained to questions relating to Primary and Secondary Health department. Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid responded to the questions by the lawmakers.

To a supplementary question by the Opposition MPA Shazia Abid, the Health Minister said specialist doctors were usually reluctant to serve in the rural areas and the government faced difficulty in this regard. However, doctors were posted against 70 seats out of 84 and the rest of the 14 posts would be filled by the end of July, she added.

Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif also attended the session after Production Orders by the Speaker PA Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Hamza Shehbaz was in NAB custody in the assets beyond means case.

The opposition lawmakers alleged that the Health department submitted wrong answers to their questions in the House while the claim was refuted by the Health Minister Punjab Dr. Yasmin Rashid. Senior most lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly Saeed Akbar Niwani, who had been elected to the House for the seventh time, said he had been witnessing such lackluster attitude of departments for last 35 years and it must be fixed now.

During the general debate on the recently adopted 'Tahaffuz-e-Bunyaad-e-Islam' (Protection of Foundation of Islam) Bill 2020, MPA Maulana Ilyas Chinioti demanded that a column describing religion should be added in the National Identity Card. He hailed the Chief Minister Punjab, Speaker Punjab Assembly and members of the special committee who played their role in drafting the historic bill to prevent objectionable material in books and to safeguard the honour of the Last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, his companions and other holy personalities from all religions.

Parliamentary Leader of Rah-e-Haq party Maulana Muawia Azam hailed Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Law Minister Raja Basharat for the introduction of the bill in the House, adding that the bill had brought an end to the sacrilegious material against islam.

Law Minister Raja Basharat opposed the proposed amendment in the 'Tahaffuz-e-Bunyaad-e-Islam' Act by treasury MPA Nazir Chohan saying the amendment should have been tabled before the act was adopted by the House.

Meanwhile after the Question Hour, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat laid before the august House audit report regarding Disaster Management Organization Punjab for the year 2018-19.

On completion of day's agenda Panel of Chairman Mian Shafi Muhammad adjourned the session till July 24 (Friday) tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.