Says action being taken against people involved in illegal organs trade
Staff Reporter
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Monday declared that the Punjab government has put back Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI) on its track and now the focus is on making it much more beneficial institute for the common man.
“The PKLI is performing excellent services and will be turned into a centre of excellence and a teaching institution.”
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was speaking at a meeting held to review performance of the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI) and Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here on Monday.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Ahmed Javed Qazi, Special Secretary Ajmal Bhatti, Additional Secretary Development Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq Bhatti, Chairman Board of Governors PKLI Prof Javed Raza Gardezi, Dean PKLI Prof Dr Faisal Dar, Mian Zahidur Rehman, Prof Javed Chaudhry, Director General Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority Dr Murtaza and other officials attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Dean PKLI Dr Faisal Dar and DG PHOTA Dr Murtaza gave presentations about their respective organizations.
On the occasion, the health minister informed that the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority is being developed on modern lines.
“Strict action is being taken against people involved in illegal trade of human organs and trials of 40 people are already underway”, the minister claimed, adding that the PHOTA has initiated action against agents, doctors and facilitators.
“In order to facilitate public, sub offices of PHOTA have been set up in Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal paid a surprise visit to Thokar Niaz Baig Panahgah Monday evening.
He inspected different sections of the facility and reviewed cleanliness and other arrangements at the panahgah.
He also inquired the visitors about the facilities being provided to them at the Panahgah.
The citizens expressed satisfaction over the arrangements, informing the Chief Secretary that they get quality food and necessary facilities at the Panahgah.
The Chief Secretary also ordered the authorities to maintain the same quality and standards.
Meanwhile, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Lahore General Hospital Prof. Muhammad Moin said that eyes are an invaluable gift of nature and vision is a great blessing bestowed by Allah Almighty for the protection of which every person must take proper steps.
He added that there was a need to show the same seriousness for eye diseases as for other organs of the body so that treatment of eyes could be possible without wasting time.
While presenting a lecture regarding eye complications and their solution in the present age, he said that diabetes is the major cause of eye diseases nowadays as diabetes poses the biggest risk to the eyes which are black and white cataracts besides blood veins also shrink.
He stressed that diabetics should get regular eye check-ups and try to control their diabetes to minimize complications.
