ZAFAR MALIK

SIALKOT

Established by the local philanthropists, the Cardiology Department of Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital is providing round-the-clock healthcare at the local level.

The department works under the direct supervision of Khawaja Muhammad Safdar Medical College (KMSMC). KMSMC Principal Zafar Ali Chaudhary told newsmen at his office that the Cardiology Department was a great blessing for the people of Sialkot. The local people are getting the international standard cardiac health and medical treatment at local level, he said.

He added that the capacity of the 45-bed department would soon be increased to 65 beds. He said that there was a well equipped Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with advanced angiography unit and advanced cardiac surgery theatre.

KMSMC Principal Dr Zafar Chaudhry added that 100 cardiac outdoor patients were being treated in teh cardiology department of Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital.

He said that the ratio of the admissions of the cardiac patients was 250 patients per month one year ago at Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital Sialkot.

Now, it has reached to 450 patients per month at the well-established cardiology department. He said that there was 1,000 times increase in the short-term and long-term admission of the cardiac patients at the cardiology department. He said that more than 4,000 cardiac patients were being checked in a month.

The KMSMC principal added that the cardiology department has been established by the donations of the local philanthropists. He said that all the cardiac patients were getting 24/7 advanced cardiac medical treatment equally without any discrimination under the supervision of senior cardiac expert Dr Zeeshan Butt.

The principal added that there was no referral of any cardiac patient from here to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore for the last one year, since the establishment of the Cardiology Department.

Exporters stress boost

in Pak-Japan ties

The businessmen of Japan and Pakistan have stressed a need for promoting business-to-business contacts for further strengthening the bilateral trade.

They stated this during a meeting held at Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) with a trade delegation of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Led by SCCI’s Departmental Committee on Trade Delegations, Exhibitions and Fairs Chairman Khawar Sapal, a 12-member SCCI trade delegation had reached Tokyo under the direct supervision of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

According to the SCCI officials, the SCCI trade delegation also participated in the awareness seminars arranged by the Embassy of Pakistan in Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). They held meetings with potential businessmen in Tokyo and Osaka cities.

The SCCI officials added that their visit to Japan would help the Sialkot exporters explore, capture and tap the international trade markets of Japan. Japan is an important trading partner of Pakistan. However, the trade volume between Pakistan and Japan is below the potential. In 2015, the exports from Pakistan to Japan were US$ 176 million while imports from Japan to Pakistan were $1.82 billion.

Khawar Sapal talking to the leading Japanese businessmen at Tokyo and Osaka said that it was the high time for both Pakistan and Japan to focus on broadening the scope of mutual trade cooperation by extending it to the other areas of mutual trade, investment and infrastructure development including all other sectors of interest.

He suggested active engagements of Japan and Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which could act as resources base for exchanging mutual trade information. He said that the mutual exchange of the trade delegations from both countries and holding of joint trade exhibitions would also help promote bilateral trade.

He said that there was a huge scope for establishing joint venture in different trade fields including sports goods, surgical instruments, sportswear, leather products and information technology between the businessmen of Tokyo, Osaka and Sialkot.

He termed SCCI trade delegation’s visit to Japan as a step forward to bring the business communities of Japan and Pakistan closer for better understanding and chalking out new avenues of mutual collaboration in various fields.

Sapal also urged the Japanese government to relax duties on Pakistani products in order to provide the better and easy access to the international Japanese markets.