Free healthcare a basic right for all citizens: Bilawal Bhutto

Bilawal said the trauma center in the city has been equipped with a paperless system.

Free healthcare
Free healthcare

QUETTA: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday that access to free and quality healthcare is a fundamental right of every citizen, regardless of income level.

Addressing a ceremony in Quetta, Bilawal said the trauma center in the city has been equipped with a paperless system and modern facilities, including ICU and HDU services. He said the 150-bed facility was a major step forward in emergency healthcare in Balochistan.

He said he was impressed by the development of the trauma center, adding that even a doctor who left Saudi Arabia was now serving at the facility.

Bilawal said the provincial government has launched and completed several development projects over the past two years and pledged that all ongoing schemes would be completed within five years.

He said his party aims to bring healthcare reforms similar to those in Sindh to Balochistan, stressing that education and health are directly linked to public welfare.

The PPP chairman said economic challenges disproportionately affect marginalized communities and warned that such issues could escalate into broader crises if not addressed.

He reiterated that the party’s politics is centered on serving ordinary citizens and ensuring access to free and quality treatment for all, saying healthcare should not be limited to the wealthy.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that efforts are underway to provide free healthcare services at people’s doorsteps, adding that the trauma center would offer 100% free and quality treatment.

He further said that the Quetta Trauma Center would be the first public hospital of its kind in Balochistan and would compete with facilities across Pakistan in terms of service delivery.

Referring to past initiatives, he said the anti-polio vaccination campaign was launched during the tenure of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and noted improvements in health performance in areas like Tharparkar despite challenging conditions.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated 11 major health sector projects in Balochistan, marking a significant expansion of healthcare services in the province.

The initiatives include the inauguration of a 150-bed modern trauma center, which will provide immediate treatment for accident and emergency cases.

He  also launched the Benazir Ambulance Service, designed to transport pregnant women and injured patients to hospitals in time for urgent care.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated  Balochistan’s first government air ambulance service equipped with modern medical equipment and neonatal incubators. The service will facilitate the air transfer of patients from remote areas.

Among other projects, he inaugurated the Bacha Khan Memorial Hospital, which will provide modern healthcare facilities for women and children.

The chairman will also launch the rehabilitation of 164 basic health units across the province, aimed at strengthening local-level healthcare delivery.

He also inaugurated a digital health management system for the Balochistan Health Department to improve monitoring and service delivery, along with the Peoples Welfare Program to ensure the availability of medicines and medical supplies in hospitals.

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