KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that he is committed to serving the ailing people of Sindh, particularly the cancer patients, because he has lost his both parents to cancer. He said this while addressing a “World Cancer Day” ceremony organised by KIRAN hospital at its conference room on Saturday. He was accompanied by Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro.

He said that KIRAN Hospital was founded by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and then chief minister Syed Abdullah Shah [father of the CM] in 1993. It started functioning in 2001. “I feel inner pain when I listen about cancer because I have lost my father and mother to cancer,” he said. He burst into tears and went on to say, “I feel the pain of this disease and know how it turns people orphans, deprive them of their near and dear ones.” Murad vowed to support all cancer hospitals, particularly KIRAN, through funding and necessary machinery and equipment. “I am with you and will extend you maximum support,” he assured Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman and KIRAN Director Dr Akhtar.  The chief minister said that he would also play his due role to create awareness about cancer so that people could change their lifestyle, food habits and adopt healthy practices in their day to day life.

PAEC Chairman Mohammad Naeem said that PAEC’s contribution to human health included establishment of 18 cancer hospitals all over Pakistan. He added that the cancer hospitals were providing state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to about 850,000 patients every year in the fields of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. “This is around 80 percent of the country’s reported cancer patients,” he said and added that five of these cancer hospitals were in Sindh. They are Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital near JPMC, KIRAN at Karachi, NIMRA at Jamshoro, NORIN at Nawabshah and LINAR at Larkana. The PAEC has planned three more cancer hospitals at Mardan, Gilgit and AJK.

Earlier in the briefing, the chief minister was informed that by 2020 the number of cancer patients would reach 20 million all over Pakistan. On this, the chief minister urged doctors to suggest ways and means to the government so that cancer could be controlled. The chief minister took round of the hospital, went ward to ward, presented gifts to patients and prayed for their early recovery.

CM VISITS SAFARI PARK

Murad on his way back to CM House reviewed progress on University Road and issued directives to its project director to complete it on time.

He paid surprise visits to Safari Park and visited its various portions. By the time, the director of Safari Park reached there and informed the chief minister that the park was stretched over an area of 270 acres, but it needed massive renovation.

The chief minister said that he had urged the mayor of Karachi and some leading architects to prepare a design of a latest Safari Park so that it could be made a worth looking park. “I will give two important gifts to Karachi – the zoo and Safari Park – very soon,” he said.

CM MEETS PARTICIAPNST OF EXERCISE AMAN-17

The participants of 36 countries in the AMAN-17 exercise being hosted by Pakistan Navy had an interactive session with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah over a cup of tea and exchanged views with him. The chief minister replied to their questions, particularly about law and order in the city. They lauded his efforts for restoration of peace and development in the city.

The chief minister told them that still there was a lot of work to do. “I have to develop infrastructure of the city, improve health services, redesign educational activities and teaching methods, improve curriculum, create job opportunities for youth and develop recreational activities,” he said. All these works should have been done much earlier, but the government remained engaged in maintaining law and order and fighting terrorists, he added.