LAHORE, March 24: Mutual cooperation and joint research ventures among the Saarc countries are necessary to upgrade the knowledge about paediatric surgery in the region.

Federal Health Minister Naseer khan said this at the inauguration of third international Saarc conference on paediatric surgery held at the King Edward Medical University here on Saturday. The three-day moot has been organised by the Federation of Associations of Paediatric Surgeons of Saarc (FAPSS) countries in collaboration with Paediatric Surgeons of Pakistan.

The minister said the government had increased health budget manifold, and it would provide financial assistance to medical graduates and postgraduates for research ventures.

He said after the success of programmes pertaining to lady health worker, immunisation, hepatitis and polio eradication, the government was now focusing on preventive aspect. He said a comprehensive joint policy on the prevention of childhood diseases was needed, as prevention was the best available cost-effective tool for the developing countries.