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Thursday March 28, 2024

‘Maxillofacial Dept to be set up at teaching hospitals’

LAHOREAdviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department will be established at all the government teaching hospitals in phases. He said those hospitals would be preferred where dentistry departments were presently existing. He said this while addressing an inaugural ceremony

By our correspondents
March 31, 2015
LAHORE
Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department will be established at all the government teaching hospitals in phases. He said those hospitals would be preferred where dentistry departments were presently existing.
He said this while addressing an inaugural ceremony of renovation/upgrade of Oral and Maxillofacial Department of the Mayo Hospital, according to a handout issued on Monday. The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided Rs.30 million for this project. Commissioner Afghan Refugees Ch. Riaz Ahmed, DG Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Prof. Riaz Waraich, MS Dr. Amjad Shahzad, Dr. Nabeela, and other doctors of the department attended the ceremony.
Commissioner Afghan Refugees Ch. Riaz said the UNHCR had provided Rs.30 million for upgrade and renovation of the department. He said the new equipment would also be provided to the department. He further said the Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees would provide additional funds for the Oral and Maxillofacial Department.
Earlier, Head of the Department, Prof. Riaz Waraich, informed the media that the Mayo Hospital was the only institution where the treatment of Oral Cancer and Maxillofacial surgery was being conducted. He said the injured of accidents and bomb blast were referred to this department for the treatment and surgery. He said that with very limited resources, Oral and Maxillofacial Department of the hospital was producing good results. He said that patients from all over the country and even from Afghanistan were brought to this hospital for treatment. He said that 168 FCPS specialist doctors had been produced by the department who were performing their duties in Pakistan and abroad.
Commissioner Afghan Refugees Ch. Riaz further said the project would be executed through a well reputed NGO “Courage Development Foundation”. However, a committee, headed by Medical Superintendent of the Mayo Hospital, has also been constituted to supervise the development work and other activities.
Kh. Salman Rafique said the health was a very vast sector and despite all the government efforts, all needs could not be met without the active cooperation of the International Development Partners and philanthropists. He directed the DG Health, Dr. Zahid Pervaiz and Prof. Riaz Warraich, to come up with the recommendations to start the Oral and Maxillofacial Department in other hospitals. He said these recommendations would be sent to the Health Department to include the ADP of new fiscal year. Kh. Salman Rafique said the Mayo Hospital had a very heavy workload which should be distributed among other teaching hospitals.
The DG Health also addressed the function and gave a detailed briefing regarding the history of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the Mayo Hospital which was established 25 years back.