Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Tuesday presided over a meeting to review proposals and matters relating to the establishment of hepatitis filter clinics in 36 districts of the province. The meeting approved the setting up of modern laboratories in nine divisions for the diagnosis of hepatitis.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that the first state-of-the-art hepatitis filter clinic had started functioning at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) and that more filtration clinics would soon be established in 36 districts of the province.
Setting up a steering committee for the implementation of the plan of the hepatitis clinics, Shehbaz Sharif said that he would preside over the steering committee and plan the establishment of the hepatitis clinics in all districts.
He directed the concerned officials to make a comprehensive plan within seven days for the setting up of all the clinics. Shehbaz Sharif said that the Punjab government was working on a comprehensive hepatitis control program but a vigorous awareness campaign needed to be run to enable hepatitis prevention.
The chief minister also said that the government would table a hepatitis regulation bill soon. He said that all existing liver treatment facilities should be up-grated and a detailed survey should be carried out for the up-gradation of hepatitis facilities through the consultation of international health experts.
Provincial Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, and Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, the chief secretary, secretaries of health, finance, and construction departments, PKLI Board of Governors President Dr Saeed Akhtar, and other concerned officials also attended the meeting.
