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Efforts to produce raw stuff for medicines: minister

By Our Correspondent
January 17, 2019

LAHORE: The PTI government will fully support the pharmaceutical industry and efforts will be made to locally produce the raw material used in manufacturing medicines to reduce imports.

“The steps will not only enhance pharma exports, but will also help reduce prices of drugs”, said Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid while speaking to reporters after visiting different stalls at the Healthcare Expo at the Expo Centre on Wednesday.

The minister said the government was focusing the health of infants and mothers, adding five new maternity centres were being established, besides overhauling the existing ones. Congratulating the organisers of the expo, Dr Yasmin Rashid said the government would provide every possible support to the industry. She was of the view of that the production of raw material in Pakistan could improve the economic viability of the industry.

Responding to a question, the provincial health minister said the energy policy took wrong turns in the past as the gas supplied to the transport sector could have been provided to the industry.

She recalled the energy crisis rendered two million workers jobless only in Faisalabad in the past, adding the present government had recently extended full support to the industry. The expo would continue on Thursday (today).

LGH: As many as more than 2.3 million patients were treated in different departments of the Lahore General Hospital in 2018 and this figure was 4.5 lakh ahead of 2017. Post Graduate Medical Institute Principal Prof Mohammad Tayyab said provision of best medical facilities has been ensured at LGH and professors and consultants in indoor and outdoor departments had performed their best and these statics showed the trust of the people over this institution. He said the efforts would be continued in the right direction acting upon the policy of the government.

Medical Superintendent Dr Mahmood Salahud-din while sharing the details of the patients visited in 2018 said more than one lac major and minor operations were also undertook at the LGH while 135,883 X-RAYS were also done during the said period. He further said 83,140 CT scan and 107,144 ultra sound, 3,897 ECHO cardiography, 2,248 fibro scan, 898 nureo angiography was also undertaken at the hospital.

The MS said in outdoor department 1457,564 and in emergency department 867,094 patients were attended while 18,016 dialysis and 5,662 gastroscopy tests, 83,858 ECGs and 23,192 MRIs were also done in the hospital.

Prof Mohammad Tayyab and Dr Mahmud were of the view that in the evening outdoor shift on daily basis more than 700 patients were being attended and this number was larger than the past. They expressed determination that in 2019 services would continued in more befitting manner.

South Punjab: Provincial Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry has said for the facilitation of the people, the creation of South Punjab province is being implemented so the people of that area could not bother to come to Lahore and their problems would be solved on local level.

He was speaking at a meeting of administrative sub-committee of the executive council on creation of South Punjab province convened under his chairmanship at chief minister’s office here on Wednesday.

Executive Council Chairman Tahir Bashir Cheema, MPA Sahibzada Ghazani, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Capt (R) Ijaz Ahmed, Punjab Secretary Services Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Police Additional IG Azhar Hameed Khokhar, Additional Secretary (Judicial) Adnan Arshad and other members of the committee attended the meeting.

Minister said additional powers would be delegated to the divisional commissioners, regional police officers and secretaries of provincial departments so the people of that area could not bother for completion of their official matters.

The meeting reviewed the progress of financial, administrative and legal matters on the creation of South Punjab province and it was also decided that the high officers and staff of education, health, housing, communication & works, agriculture and police departments would be deputed in South Punjab province.