LAHORE     -  Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif on Sunday chaired a meeting to re­view the facilities for modern and free med­ical treatment to poor people at Pakistan Kid­ney and Liver Institute (PKLI), here.

While talking to the participants of the meeting, the PM said the Hepatitis Preven­tion and Treatment Programme earlier initiated by PKLI should be immediately handed over to the institute again.

He said the focus should be on reform­ing the system for free-of-charge treat­ment to poor people in the PKLI and 50 per cent of patients should be provided free treatment. 

He directed that a fund should be insti­tuted for the free-of-charge treatment of needy patients and an amount should be allocated for this purpose. 

During the meeting, Chairman Board of Governors of PKLI DrSaeedAkhtar briefed the prime minister about the performance of the institute. 

It was told that work was being done to enhance the capacity of PKLI for carry­ing out complicated surgeries. The meet­ing was also apprised that at present 41 per cent of the patients were being treat­ed without any charges, and more than 95 per cent of the patients were success­fully treated. 

Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Secretary Health Punjab Ahmed Javed Qazi, Mu­jeeebur Rehman Shami, and others at­tended the meeting.

PM FOR MORE COORDINATION OVER RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO TURKIYE, SYRIA

Meanwhile, chairing a high-level meet­ing to review the ongoing relief activ­ities on part of Pakistan, in the quake hit Turkiye and Syria, the prime minis­ter said that for the purpose of coordi­nation, all relief assistance to the earth­quake-affected people of Turkiye and Syria should be dispatched through Na­tional Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The prime minister lauded the human­itarian and charity organizations for their ongoing relief work in the quake-hit areas of Turkiye and said that Paki­stani humanitarian organizations were in the forefront to support their affected brethren and sisters in these countries.

The meeting was attended by repre­sentatives of Edhi, Saylani and Al-Khid­mat Foundation, Minister for Planning AhsanIqbal, PM’s Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, ambassadors of Pakistan to Turkiye and Syria and other high of­ficials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister, during the meet­ing, observed that relief assistance to these countries should be sent in ac­cordance with the requirements of the earthquake-affected people and stressed upon ensuring of quality relief goods.

The prime minister also constituted a sub-committee to be headed by the min­ister for planning. The committee would be tasked to share information among the government and humanitarian or­ganizations over the dispatch of relief goods. The prime minister said through exchange of real-time information, the quake victims of Turkiye and Syria could be supported in a well-organized man­ner. The meeting was apprised of the de­tails of the relief assistance sent to these two countries through NDMA.

Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik informed the meeting that under prime minister’s previous di­rective, the cost and preparation time for tents had been decided in consultation with the tent manufacturing industries.

By the end of next month, the govern­ment of Pakistan would send 1,00,000 winterized tents to Turkiye. These tents were being prepared keeping in view the weather requirements and in consulta­tion with the Turkish Disaster and Emer­gency Management Presidency (AFAD).

Faisal Edhi of Edhi Foundation, Mau­lana Bashir Farooqi of Saylani Trust and Abdul Shakoor of Al Khidmat Foundation briefed the meeting about the details of relief consignments sent to the quake-af­fected countries which included tents, medicines, edible items, blankets and warm clothes. Besides, medical teams had also been sent to these countries.

The prime minister appreciated the working of the charity organizations and directed NDMA to keep constant coordi­nation with them.