KARACHI, May 10: The health department has established emergency centres in Karachi and Hyderabad to cope with any situation during the general elections in the province, said Health Minister Junaid Ali Shah.

The minister said the emergency centres had been established in the Civil Hospital Karachi and Director-General Health Office in Hyderabad where staffs had been posted to provide medical services round-the-clock.

He termed the signing of three ‘landmark’ health bills by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad a ‘gift’ for the people of Sindh, which would primarily benefit the poor and the destitute.

He said it had become mandatory for all private hospitals, clinics and labs in Sindh to get themselves registered.

The government would establish mental health centres for the mentally-challenged people, who would get free medicine and treatment from the government, he said.

Besides, he said the government would assist the people for free blood tests before their marriage and it would be duly mentioned in the marriage certificate. “The nikah registrar would be taken to the task if one found to be guilty of wrong entries,” he said.

He said a seven-member health commission was going to be formed under the newly-introduced Health Regulations Ordinance. The commission would be headed by the provincial health minister with provincial health secretary as its secretary. One of its members would be taken from among the vice chancellors of public universities, while others would be from the Pakistan Medical Association, the Private Hospitals and Clinics Association, the College of Family Medicine and a medical superintendent of a government hospital.

He said a haemoglobin foundation was being established by the Sindh health department to provide free of cost blood to those suffering from thalassaemia.

Mr Shah expressed the hope that the next elected government would safeguard the three ordinances through necessary legal means.