LAHORE - The Punjab Aids Control Program inaugurated free month-long medical camp for truck and bus drivers at Pul 111, Sargodha yesterday.

The camp provides free medical tests for HIV, Hepatitis B & C and Blood Group to truck drivers.  The guests of honour at the ceremony were President Stone Suppliers Association Ch Pervaiz Masood Bajwa and Stone Transport Association President Ch Babar Akram Dunda. Officials of the Punjab Aids Control Program and notables of the area were also present.

The Punjab Aids Control Program has started similar camps at Ravi Truck Station in Lahore and at Babu Sabu. Besides providing free testing services, the camp provides awareness regarding HIV and Hepatitis B & C.

President Stone Suppliers Association welcomed the initiative and said the camp was much needed for the community. He asked the drivers to avail the free tests facility.

The spokesman of the Punjab Aids Control Program said Sargodha is main center for supply of crush-related construction material across the country, therefore a camp was needed here. He said that the program is proactively towards raising awareness about HIV, and is providing free treatment for patients as well. The Program plans to open similar camps in other busy centers for truck drives in several districts i.e. Kot Addu, Attock, Sheikhupura.

Mayo’s surgical

tower by next year

Construction on surgical tower of Mayo Hospital would be completed in the next calendar year for which government has provided Rs660 million, a senior official said yesterday.

So far Rs1186 million has been spent on the project, Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Najam Ahmed Shah said during a visit to the building. The secretary inspected installation of HVAC system, besides other construction and finishing work.

The hospital’s chief executive, Prof Asad Aslam Khan, Project Director Prof Ibrar Ashraf, Dr Tahir Khalil, Dr Atiqur Rehman, Prof Khalid Masood Gondal, officers of C&W Department and the contractor were also present.

Surgical tower is a mega project having 400 beds as well as 18 operation theaters which is equal to two DHQ hospitals.

The health secretary further said that experts have estimated two years time for completion of the project. On completion of surgical tower, he added, surgical wards and operation theaters would be shifted to the new building that would pave way renovation of main building.

CT scan machines to be

 installed in hospitals

Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has said that CT scan machines would be installed at all district headquarters hospitals through public and partnership by April 2017.

The private company will be responsible for repair, maintenance and round the clock functionality of equipment. Government will pay cost of CT scan test while the facility will be provided to the patients free of cost.

The minister said that public and private partnership would resolve the issue of day to day non-functioning of the machines. He said that provision of CT scan machines was part of up-gradation and revamping of DHQ hospitals.