LAHORE, Oct 19: Measures are being taken to control eye diseases and blindness and a committee has been made to recommend measures to check this disease, says Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, according to a handout issued on Sunday.

Financial and administrative autonomy in real sense had been given to teaching hospitals of the province for improving the affairs of health facilities, the chief minister said at a briefing given by the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences principal.

He said that in order to provide medical facilities to people at their doorsteps, the government was providing medical equipment, medicines, doctors and paramedical staff at basic and rural health centers and tehsil and district headquarters throughout the province.

He said the provision of healthcare facilities was one of the top priorities of the government and solid measures were being taken for improvement of the health sector and health facilities in hospitals.

“Dialysis centers are being established for the treatment of kidney patients where free treatment facilities will be available to poor patients,” the handout quoted Mr Sharif as having said.

He said hygienic atmosphere and provision of clean drinking water was important to eradicate diseases as polluted water and atmosphere was one of the reasons for spreading of eye diseases.

He said that facilities for elimination of eye diseases and blindness would be provided in all hospitals of the province and the committee should submit its recommendations at the earliest. He said professionally dedicated doctors could make the measures taken for the provision of health facilities a success.

The chief minister said the government had promoted merit policy in the province and self finance scheme has been abolished in professional medical colleges so that only deserving students could get their right.

He said that equitable admission policy had been adopted in all private and public professional medical colleges. He said that admission in various courses in College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences should be given on merit by abolishing quota system.

The chief minister also made a committee which will submit its recommendations to him for provision of facilities and controlling eye diseases in the hospitals of the province.