07 January 2005	Friday	25 Ziqa'ad 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: Sindh has sought additional Rs404.8 million from the federal government to upgrade the Atomic Energy Medical Centre and modernize the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation in Karachi.

Sources said here on Thursday that the Sindh government has informed the Centre that most of the currently equipment of the AEMC, Karachi, now needed replacement. It also said that the AEMC's building was too old and needed to be renovated and that new equipment would increase the center's efficiency.

The Sindh government maintained that the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission was playing a leading role through Nuclear Medical Institutes for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer using latest technical developments in the field. The PAEC established AEMC in Karachi in 1960.

The upgradation will develop facilities which will help in maximizing established nuclear medicines. Currently, the number of new patients being registered at the centre is 25,000 to 30,000 per annum. After adding the new facilities, the number of patients may increase up to 30,000 to 35,000 annually.

The modernization of SIUT at Karachi, the Sindh government said, required some foreign assistance which was expected to be offered by Japan and some other international donors. The modernization of the institute will help increase the facilities of treatment in the field of urology, nephrology and kidney transplantation.

Sindh government wanted to facilitate urgent and timely management through the modernization which will also help improve teaching and training facilities at the SIUT.

The purpose was also to improve research in diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. The SIUT was established in 1991 and since then the number of patients coming for various diseases has increased to 2.5 million per year.