Clinics gear up to battle HIV, hepatitis

Aim is to prevent, treat diseases according to international guidelines

LAHORE: Six advanced endoscopy suites and hepatitis clinics would be set up to counter the increase of hepatitis and HIV AIDs in different areas of southern Punjab, The Express Tribune learnt.

Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah said that the institutions selected for this purpose were the District Headquarters and Teaching Hospital Sahiwal, Nisther Hospital, Nishter Medical University Multan, Bhalwal Victoria Hospital, Quaid-i-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur, DHQ Hospital, Sargodha Medical College, DHQ Teaching Hospital Dera Ghazi Khan, DG Khan Medical College and Sheikh Zayed Medical College Rahim Yar Khan.



The secretary said the revolutionary step would not only help prevent and diagnose hepatitis, gastroenterology and related diseases, but also treat the whole of Punjab effectively and according to international guidelines.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority (PBTA) Board of Governors was held at the Civil Secretariat on Friday under the supervision of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.



PBTA Secretary Dr Muhammad Athar presented a progress report which showed various measures to improve transfusion practices in the province with the aim to provide safe, healthy and sufficient blood to all the patients. He said that enforcement of Punjab Blood Transfusion Safety Act 2016 was important to eliminate HIV and hepatitis in the province.

He stressed the need for close collaboration between Punjab Healthcare Commission and PBTA to introduce a vibrant system of checking blood transfusion services across Punjab and to make public and private blood banks comply with international standards.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2017.