Yasmin directs HIV/AIDS screening of prisoners

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid has directed HIV/AIDS screening of every prisoner in 41 prisons of the province. She passed these directions to the authorities concerned while chairing a meeting at CM’s House regarding the eradication of HIV AIDS. Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Momin Agha, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, IG Prisons Shahid Saleem, Special Secretary Mudasar Waheed, Punjab Health Services DG Haroon Jahangir and other officers participated in the meeting. Special Secretary Mudasar Waheed and IG Prisons Punjab Shahid Saleem briefed the health minister on the initiatives taken for the eradication of HIV/AIDS. Dr Yasmeen Rashid said rehabilitation centres should be established in all prisons of Punjab. Prisoners having HIV/AIDS and TB must be facilitated in separate barracks. Vacancies of doctors in all prisons’ hospitals must be filled soon. The services of psychological are very important for the patients of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, the minister said.

Strict action against quacks must be ensured in all districts. The Task Force on Drug Addiction must be suggested. She said a comprehensive awareness campaign should be launched in all educational institutions.

Registered HIV/AIDS patients have the facility of free medicines and treatment. Punjab AIDS Control Programme is running 18 treatment centres in Punjab. Blood Transfusion Authority, districts health authorities, Infection Control Programme, Hepatitis Control Programme, TB Control Programme, narcotics control programme and the donors along with the Health Department are helping to eradicate HIV/AIDS. Health Department is ensuring the screening of all prisoners in prisons of Punjab.

The provincial health minister said Punjab Health Department was arranging awareness walks, dramas, poster competitions in educational institutions and was also training health professionals. Barbers and beauty parlours are being registered all over the province, she said.

convocation: The second convocation of Ameer Uddin Medical College and 8th of Post Graduate Medical Institute will be held here on July 9 in which 171 doctors will be awarded with degrees while 75 position holders will be given medals.

Principal PGMI/AMC Prof Muhammad Tayyab presided over a meeting to review the arrangements of the convocation in which heads of different administrative committees of the convocation presented their reports. Organising Secretary of Convocation 2019 Prof Dr Najam-ul-Hasnain while giving details said that in the convocation 104 doctors of Ameer Uddin Medical College and 67 from Post Graduate Medical Institute will be getting their degrees which will be in fact fruit of their hard work.

Speaking at the meeting, Principal PGMI/AMC Prof Dr Muhammad Tayyab called upon making the event a success. He said completion of medical education and MBBS is not an easy task and those who work hard are definitely given award by the Allah Almighty.