QUETTA - The Balochistan High Court on Monday issued notices to respondents in re­sponse to a plea seeking directives for disbursement of allocated Rs2 billion for Balochistan Awami Endowment Fund for CENAR Cancer Hospital Quetta during the current financial year.

During the current fiscal year the Balo­chistan government has allocated Rs2 billion for the Balochistan Awami En­dowment Fund to ensure quality health­care facilities for the maximum number of poor people who are suffering from chronic diseases. TLTP has learnt that during July this year, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Non-Formal Edu­cation Mir Asadullah Baloch Minister of Social Welfare & Non-Formal Education expressed the government had provided financial assistance to 1,800 poor patients so far under the funding programme. Baloch said the patients affected by can­cer was particularly high in Chagai and Naseerabad districts, while the ratio of life threatening diseases was also high in Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts.

A divisional bench of the BHC compris­ing Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Abdul Hameed Baloch was adjudicating over the plea of Abdul Baqi who has made the provincial government and others respondents in the matter. 

Appearing on behalf of the petitioner before the BHC, Advocate Rehmatullah Barreh contended that cancer patients were not being treated due to non-avail­ability of allocated funds in the CENAR cancer hospital Quetta. The others who appeared before the bench includes; Zahor Ahmed Baloch Assistant Advocate General ,Sanaullah Ababki, Deputy Attorney Gener­al for Pakistan and law officer of Health De­partment of provincial government Abdul Nasir Kasi. After hearing of the arguments the bench sought details from the con­cerned officials about release of funds from Balochistan Awami Endowment Fund to CENAR for treatment of cancer patients.