Over Rs3bn medicine fund released for 30 teaching hospitals

LAHORE:The Finance Department has released Rs3.59 billion of pending funds under the medicines budget to 30 different government teaching hospitals of the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education. A letter was also issued in this regard.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held in the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique. During the meeting, a detailed review of the Chief Minister’s children’s heart surgery programme, dialysis programme and special initiative for transplant programme was taken. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, historic and fundamental steps are being taken in the health sector. These are flagship programmes of the Punjab government in the health sector. We want to reach 100 percent of the fruits of these programmes to the people. The chief minister has started these special programmes for the convenience of patients who cannot afford the cost of treatment. Khawaja Salman said that complete coordination was being done with all stakeholders for the success of the three health projects. Various hospitals are also being empaneled under these programmes. Every plan has been started to heal the wounds of suffering humanity.

The meeting was attended by Secretary, Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood, UCHS Vice Chancellor Prof Masood Sadiq, Dr Adnan Khan, Chairman, Chief Minister's Task Force, Dr Farqad Alamgir, Special Secretary Development Zeeshan Shabbir Rana, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Muhammad Waseem, Additional Secretary Dr Waheed Asghar and other officers.

Timely diagnosis to prevent glaucoma

The College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences (COAVS) and Mayo Hospital, King Edward Medical University Lahore organised a glaucoma awareness walk on Tuesday, with a view to highlighting the importance of timely diagnosis and prevention of glaucoma. The walk was organised from COAVS and the Institute of Ophthalmology to the Surgical Tower. In which health professionals, students and citizens participated. The walk began at 9:45am with banners bearing slogans like “Get your eyes checked, save your eyesight” and “Glaucoma: Timely diagnosis, permanent vision” “Awareness is vision”.

Professor Dr Mahmood Ayaz (SI) – Vice Chancellor, King Edward Medical University attended as the chief guest and said that glaucoma is a silent killer of vision which often goes undetected until the vision is irreparably damaged. Professor Dr Muhammad Moin, Pro Vice Chancellor, KEMU and Principal COAVS, said that awareness is ‘our strongest weapon against glaucoma’. Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan, Provincial Coordinator for Blindness Prevention, Punjab said that if you are above 40 years of age, have a close relative in your family who has this disease, have diabetes or high blood pressure, have been using steroid medicines for a long time, have had any kind of injury or pain in the eye before, are a migraine patient, or have frequent changes in your glasses prescription then caution is necessary.