LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated one of Pakistan’s largest medicines warehouse projects aimed at improving healthcare services across the province in a landmark initiative.
The launch took place at the Central Warehouse in Maraka here on Wednesday, overseen by the Health Department, where the CM announced provision of free medicines to hospitals in various districts.
During the ceremony, the CM emphasised the importance of ensuring timely access to essential medicines for the public. She directed the immediate operationalisation of additional medicine warehouses in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Multan. The project includes nine fully functional warehouses with the capacity to store medicines and medical equipment worth over Rs 17 billion.
Highlighting the project’s scale, the CM personally operated a forklift to load the first batch of medicines for distribution. She inspected the quality of furniture, medical equipment, and other goods prepared for the hospitals. The CM also verified the validity of the medicines and the standard temperature maintenance systems in place at the warehouse.
Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan provided a detailed briefing, noting that the warehouses are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to store medicines at standard temperatures. Under the CM’s direction, the project has amassed over Rs. 10 billion worth of medicines and Rs. 7 billion in new medical equipment, furniture, and supplies, including three-colored disposable bed sheets.
The ceremony was attended by prominent figures including Senator Parvez Rashid, Provincial Minister for Information & Culture Azma Zahid Bokhari, Provincial Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir, Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik, Dr. Adnan Khan, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Secretary Health Ali Jan, and Secretary Information Ahmed Aziz Tarar.
