By Qasim Ali
LAHORE:Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to launch a province-wide comprehensive health screening program for special education students, the first such initiative in Punjab’s history, under which over 35,600 special children will undergo medical examinations and treatment.According to the briefing given to the chief minister, eye testing, dental check-ups, and diagnosis of various diseases of more than 34,000 students studying in special education centers will be carried out, while on-the-spot treatment will be provided to over 20,000 students. More than 9,000 children will receive medical care at health centers, tehsil and district headquarters hospitals, and 5,000 others in hospitals of major cities.The CM was informed that the door-to-door admission campaign for special students had achieved remarkable success, resulting in over 5,000 new admissions across Punjab. Under the CM Punjab Freelancer Program, special courses including Design and YouTube, Content Creation, Social Media, and E-Commerce have been introduced in special education centers. Ten new computer labs have been approved, while eight existing labs will be upgraded. So far, 18 master trainers and 1,760 students have been trained under the program, and 50 top performers will be awarded laptops.Officials further briefed that 989 security cameras will be installed in 142 special education centers across Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, and D.G. Khan Divisions under Phase-I, while 158 institutes in Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Sahiwal Divisions will be covered in Phase-II, with 4,381 cameras to be installed in total by next May.These cameras will be connected to a central surveillance room in Lahore to ensure safety and behavioral assessment of special children. It was highlighted that 3,450 cameras would be operational by November for the enhanced protection of students in special education centers.
