29 January 2004	Thursday	06 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 28: Three health care units fully equipped with modern medical facilities will be set up for fishermen in the coastal areas of Karachi. These health care units will have modern facilities for ultra sound, blood profile and radiology tests, besides, OPD facilities.

The plan for these health care units has been prepared by the Fishermen Cooperative Society under its welfare-oriented policy that will be put into operation after Eid-ul-Azha.

Talking to Dawn, FCS vice-chairman Abuzur Mariwara said the Society had already adopted a 10-bed dispensary situated at Shams Pir Island in Keamari, which would be formally inaugurated by FCS Chairman Manzoor Ali Panhwar after Eid. Two other units would be established in the old fishermen settlements: one at Khadda and another at Ibrahim Haideri, he added.

Mr Mariwara said these decisions were taken to provide maximum health cover to the poor families of fishermen who had meagre income. He further said that the government would soon announce a welfare package to improve the lot of country's fishermen. The government was fully alive to the problems being faced by fishermen and was making all out efforts to solve them, he added.

The FCS vice-chairman said with the announcement of the proposed package, millions of fishermen would be able to improve their living standard and country would earn more foreign exchange. He said after the announcement of new fishing policy, the issue of deep-sea policy would also be resolved.

POSTPONED: The Board of Directors' meeting of the FCS, which was called on Wednesday, has been postponed due to sudden death of its director Imdad Ali Kehar. The meeting would now be held after consulting the FCS directors.