Punjab Local Government and Community Development Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has announced that the provincial government will introduce a permanent and effective cleanliness mechanism in public hospitals across Punjab. He made the statement while chairing a meeting at the Suthra Punjab Authority office in Lahore on Saturday.
Meeting Attendees and Agenda
The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary Mehreen Faheem Abbasi and Additional Director General of the Suthra Punjab Authority Aurangzeb. The minister reviewed proposals for preparing a comprehensive plan to improve sanitation standards in government hospitals.
Chief Minister's Directives
Rafiq stated that the chief minister had directed authorities to ensure regular cleaning of hospital wards, corridors, lawns, and washrooms throughout the province. He added that additional resources would be provided to maintain cleanliness standards in public hospitals and instructed the Suthra Punjab Authority to prepare a detailed implementation plan.
Waste-to-Value Programme Progress
The meeting also reviewed progress on the Waste-to-Value programme. The minister was informed that pilot projects were under way in Lakhodair (Lahore), Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Sheikhupura, while non-landfill waste disposal production was being carried out in Dera Ghazi Khan and Chakwal.
University Collaboration and Future Initiatives
Zeeshan Rafiq said case studies being conducted by university scholars in collaboration with the Suthra Punjab Authority had reached the final stage. He added that future initiatives for waste utilisation would be implemented in line with experts’ recommendations. The government is committed to converting accumulated waste into valuable resources through biogas, organic fertiliser, and other energy-generation projects. An experimental biogas production unit using animal waste is already producing output in Lahore.
Performance Review of District Agencies
The meeting also reviewed the performance of Suthra Punjab agencies across the province. The Additional Director General briefed the minister on their progress. Zeeshan Rafiq said the establishment of district-level agencies had strengthened the monitoring system at the grassroots level and directed officials to submit performance reports of all district managing directors.
