Qadri ‘oblivious’ of corruption charges
Punjab Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Zaeem Hussain Qadri has expressed ignorance about any complaint filed against him with NAB. “I have no knowledge of any complaint or inquiry against me nor received any notice or anyone had called him, Zaeem Hussain Qadri told this scribe Tuesday. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at a meeting in Islamabad Monday ordered to verify a corruption complaint filed against Zaeem Qadri. The chairman, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal chairing the meeting, had ordered NAB Lahore director general to initiate the process of verifying complaints against Qadri and others on the allegations of getting undue benefits from the Punjab Small Industrial Cooperative Employees Housing Society in Lahore. –Staff Reporter
Health Commission in action
The Punjab Healthcare Commission has closed down 69 fake treatment centres in district Faisalabad, and initiated further proceedings against them. According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, two teams of the PHC visited 156 healthcare establishments of the Faisalabad district, and sealed 69 fake treatment centres. 54 quacks closed down their businesses upon getting information about the teams. The district administration has been directed to take action against them under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act, 2010. The sealed centres had maximum number of quacks, that is, 43, who were posing themselves to be general physicians, while the rest sealed centres included 14 dental clinics and eight medical stores. Two each were homeopathic doctors and hakeems, who were found practising allopathy. The spokesperson of the PHC has said the Commission is continuing its anti-quackery campaign across the province, and its teams will be visiting all districts and tehsils one after the other to end the quackery in all forms. The PHC has appealed to the masses that they should always go to the PHC registered and licensed practitioners. They can give information about quacks on the toll free PHC helpline 0800 00742, and their identity will not be revealed to anyone. –Staff Reporter
Metabolic society sworn in
Newly-elected office bearers of Pakistan Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery took oath at a ceremony held on Tuesday. Prof Mumtaz Maher took oath as President, Prof Abu Fazal Ali Khan Vice President, Prof Farooq Afzal General Secretary and Dr Atif Inam Shami Finance Secretary, Dr Tanseer Asghar Information Secretary and Dr Maaz as Joint Secretary. Dr Shahzad Alam, Dr Umar, Dr Tayyab, Dr Saeed Qureshi, Dr Shahid Rasul, Dr Ghulam Siddique, Dr Arif, Dr Amir Sharif, Dr Awais Amjad and Dr Burhan took oath as executive members. Prof Farooq Afzal said that the Society would help doctors improving professional skills. He said that next meeting of the Society will be convened on January 31 at Shalimar Hospital. –Staff Reporter
Anti-influenza meeting
Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Kh Salman Rafiq chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review the situation of H1N1 seasonal influenza. Minister Primary and Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir, Secretary SH&ME Najam Ahmed Shah, Special Secretary Dr Sajid Chuhan, heads of medical education institutions, teaching hospitals, specialized healthcare departments and relevant officers attended the meeting. DG Health Dr Akhter Rasheed Malik said that said that so far 66 cases of seasonal influenza have been reported from the province. He said only one case has been reported in Lahore. He said that 72 years Rashida was under treatment at Farooq Hospital. He said that there was no dearth of medicines. The heads of teaching hospitals said that vaccination of concerned doctors and other staff has been carried out to save them from the disease. The meeting decided to depute services hospital as the focal hospital for treatment of influenza patients. All the hospitals were directed to refer patients to the services hospital. –Staff Reporter
