Punjab government is providing free treatment to the blood cancer patients : Kh Salman

Lahore : Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that corporate sector should play effective role for eradication of disease, illiteracy and other social problems which is a social responsibility of the sector.

He stated this while addressing a seminar on World Cancer Day in connection with 3^rd Anniversary of joint venture of Punjab Government and Novartis Pharmaceutical under Punjab CML Free Treatment Project in a local hotel on Saturday.

He said that Punjab government in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceutical company is providing free treatment facilities to the blood cancer patients and during the last three years medicines of Rs. 13 billion have so far been provided to the blood cancer patients. For this purpose four centers in Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Allied Hospital Faisalabad and Nishtar Hospital Multan are working to facilitate the patients where cancer patients are registered from across the province. Khawaja Salman Rafiq further said that in new fiscal year more such centers would be set up to register and treat the patients.

Besides, Prof. Sheheryar, Prof. Zeba Aziz, Former Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College / Jinnah Hospital Prof. Mehmood Shaukat, Acting Principal Prof. Arif Siddiqui, Prof. Ejaz from Nishtar Hospital, Prof. Attika from Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, representatives of Novartis and a large number of clinicians from different hospitals attended the seminar.

Earlier, Prof. Mehmood Shaukat gave a presentation on the performance of the project. He informed that so far 3143 CML patients have been registered and all the patients are being provided medicines on monthly basis. He said that since the medicines are very costly,  therefore, patients have been asked to return empty packets of used medicines to ensure proper utilization.

Minister Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq informed that Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has approved to continue the project and its scope would also be extended to other divisional headquarters to facilitate the patients.

He was of the view that patients load of teaching hospitals can be reduced by strengthening the DHQ and THQ hospitals therefore up-gradation of emergencies of District Headquarters as well as Tehsil Headquarter Hospitals have been started and CT Scan machines would also be provided to all the DHQ hospitals during the current financial year.

He said that government is working on a planned way forward under which network of hospitals is being established in the province. He said that acknowledgment and encouragement of the doctors and nurses who are providing medical cover to the millions of patients is also very essential.

The Minister further said that Health Department has successfully eradicated Tetanus disease among the pregnant women for which 35 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated.

Moreover, after vigorous efforts by the officers and staff of Punjab Health Department, now the province is polio-free which is a proof of hard working of the polio workers and their officers. He said that 2016 was a year of success and 2017 would also bring more successes for the department.