Shahbaz opens hepatitis filter clinic in Kasur

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated a hepatitis filter clinic at the District Headquarters Hospital, Kasur. He inspected different sections of the clinic and examined various facilities offered to patients. He was given a briefing about the quality of healthcare facilities available for the patients. 

Talking to the doctors and other staff, the chief minister said they should work tirelessly for the benefit of ailing humanity. The treatment of hepatitis is beyond the capacity of the indigent strata; therefore, the government will fulfill the obligation and the patients will not face any difficulty in their treatment, he added.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister said talented and professional staff is being hired for these clinics and this is a big change. Those who have talked about change and making of a new Pakistan should observe and listen that we are bringing actual change.

The chief minister said that hepatitis is a dangerous disease which has affected 10 percent of the population. He said the Punjab government has adopted latest measures to eliminate this disease in an organised manner. We are committed to completely eradicate this disease; therefore, the scope of hepatitis filter clinics is being extended to all the districts of the province. He said that 25 hepatitis filter clinics would be established where free medicines along with free treatment will be provided. He said that establishment of hepatitis filter clinic equipped with the latest medical facilities is an important initiative of the provincial government and it will help to eliminate this disease. 

I am happy to inaugurate this latest hepatitis filter clinic in Kasur which is equipped with latest digital system; 100 percent patients will be provided free medicines here and there is no scope of theft of medicines as computerised system has been put in place. He said that no one would go on strike nor any sort of blackmailing is possible in these clinics. Here, the hepatitis patients will be treated in a respectable manner. I am sure the elements involved in strikes would realise the importance of service to ailing humanity and these clinics would refresh their conscience that strikes don’t serve the purpose of service of ailing humanity. He said that establishment of latest hepatitis filter clinic is neither gift nor a favour for the people of Kasur; rather it is a debt which the Punjab government has paid.

He said the hepatitis filter clinic established in Kasur is no less in quality than the filter clinic of Lahore. Most of the doctors and other staff belong to Kasur here and it is hoped that they will provide medical facilities to their brothers and sisters of the area with full commitment and passion. 

He said he is thankful to PITB Chairman Dr Umer Saif and his team for devising digital system for the hepatitis filter clinics with hard work. He also thanked Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab for making this filter clinic. It’s a modern organisation of the Punjab government which has done a wonderful job and I congratulate their whole team. He said he has visited the filter clinic and pointed out some flaws as there is room for improvement and we shall make it even better. He said crores of rupees are being spent on the construction of these clinics, while billions of rupees would be spent on the provision of medicines. He said President of Board of Governors of Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute Dr Saeed Akhter is running this programme and recruitment of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff is his duty. No one including myself, provincial ministers as well as the political colleagues can interfere in the recruitment process. 

Talented and professional staff is being hired for these clinics and this is a big change. Those who have talked about change and making of a new Pakistan should observe this change. The people who talked about change should listen that we are bringing actual change. Many such hospitals have been established and hundreds more are being set up where the ailing humanity will be served. 

There would be no strike nor there will be any blackmailing or theft of medicines. In these hospitals, providing service to the ailing humanity will be considered supreme and this is what new Pakistan is. Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the hepatitis filter clinic.

In his message on World Humanitarian Day, the chief minister said it is demand of humanity that human beings should be served without any greed or interest and human friendship means that we should like the same for other human beings as is liked by us. He said the aim of observing World Humanitarian Day is to create awareness among the people about welfare activities and appreciating the services of relief workers and institutions busy in human welfare.He said late Abdul Sattar Edhi was an identity and asset of Pakistan who laid the foundation of service to the people. He said Dr Ruth Pfau, who recently died, was the best example of love to the humanity who had dedicated her life for leprosy patients and leprosy was eliminated completely from Pakistan due to her efforts.

The chief minister strongly condemned the incident of terrorism in Barcelona, Spain and expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in this incident. In a message on Friday, the CM extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.