Caretaker Punjab Health Minister, Dr Jamal Nasir, on Monday, said that 55 thousand prisoners in 43 jails of the province would be screened for various diseases till March 17.
He said this while inaugurating the health screening drive launched across the province at Adiala jail.
The minister said that on the instructions of caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, inmates would be tested for AIDS, hepatitis, TB, sugar and blood pressure, while their height and weight would also be measured.
Dr Jamal Nasir said that under the health screening program, all prisoners’ tests would be carried out free of cost while free of cost treatment would be provided to the inmates diagnosed with any disease.
He said special counters had been set up in all the jails across Punjab where doctors and paramedical staff were performing their duties while a sufficient quantity of required medicines was also available there.
The minister informed that around 6,000 prisoners at Adiala jail would be screened, adding four doctors and 24 paramedical staff had been appointed at the Jail for screening the prisoners.
He added that upgrading the hospitals of seven major jails of the province was underway while the number of doctors and health staff were being increased.
Director General Health Dr Ilyas Gondal, while speaking on the occasion, said that along with the screening of prisoners, all medicines would be provided free of charge while all necessary testing kits and equipment for health screening were available in abundance.
The minister visited different parts of the jail and inquired from the inmates about the medical facilities provided to them in the jail.
Director General Health Dr. Ilyas Gondal, DIG Prisons Rana Rauf, Project Director, Punjab Aids Control Program. Dr Muhammad Farooq Ahmad, Superintendent Adiala Jail Asad Javed Warich, District Health Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani and District Disease Surveillance Officer Dr Waqar Ahmed were also present.
Lady health workers’ scale upgraded:Caretaker Provincial Health Minister, Punjab Dr Jamal Nasir, on Monday, said that the scale of lady health workers had been increased from 5 to pay scale 8.
While inaugurating the anti-polio campaign at the office of the Health Department he said that a 25 per cent allowance has also been added to the basic pay of lady health workers.
The Minister said that Polio was a national issue, and it was the responsibility of all to play an influential role in making the country polio-free.
He informed that over 947,000 children under five would be vaccinated during a week-long drive in the Rawalpindi district which would continue till March 19.
The health minister said 3,723 teams, including 3,272 mobile teams, 289 fixed points, 214 union council medical officers, and 765 area in-charges have been assigned the immunization task.
He said that the anti-polio campaign had been started in 13 districts of the province, including Rawalpindi, while around 10 million children would be vaccinated against Polio across the province.
Dr Jamal urged the citizens, particularly the parents, to come forward and play their role in eliminating the crippling disease from society.
The minister added that prisoners would be screened for various diseases free of cost in all jails across Punjab.