Islamabad - National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Thursday passed the ‘HIV/Aids Safety & Control Bill, 2013’ unanimously.
The meeting of NA body on NHS was held under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly (MNA) Khalid Hussain Magsi.
HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Bill, 2013, Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smoking Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 were presented.
HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Bill, 2013 was moved by MNA Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho.
The Minister NHS Saira Afzal Tarar said that there were several reasons of carrying HIV and added that the ministry would not oppose any legislation regarding HIV.
She assured that the ministry would ensure implementation of any such law in the federal capital if it was passed.
The committee passed the bill unanimously.
The committee considered the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016 moved by MNA Parveen Masood Bhatti, the mover of the bill maintained that the human organ donations will give new lease of life to persons in need of such organs and tissues.
However, the committee deferred the bill.
Administrator Human Organs Transplant Authority (HOTA), Dr Ishtiaq informed the committee that there was no trend of nuclear scanning of stent despite availability of this facility in the country.
It was necessary to scan the stent before its usage, he added.
The committee also deferred the Prohibition of Smoking and protection of Non-Smoking Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 and referred it to the standing committee for having detailed discussion on its various aspects.
The committee members said that effective legislation and proper implementation of tobacco control laws was necessary.
The Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said that efforts were being made to protect the youth from increasing use of smoking in productive age by creating awareness among them.
She said that several innovative steps had been taken by the government to encourage youth to quit smoking while all concerned anti-tobacco laws were being implemented in true spirit.
The committee showed satisfaction over the compliance report on the issue of sub-standard/un-registered stents and recommended that the strict check should be observed by the Department on permanent basis.
The Secretary, M/o National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination assured the committee that the issue of the salaries of the employees of DRAP would be resolved within one month.
MNAs, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Dr Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Dr Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, Dr Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon, Col (Retd) Dr Amirullah Marwat, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Qari Muhammad Yousaf, Rida Khan, Shakila Khalid Luqman, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Mir, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal, attended the meeting. Parveen Masood Bhatti, MNA/Mover of the bill also attended the meeting.
