KARACHI, July 24: Taking notice of the spread of conjunctivitis in the metropolis, the city government has set up special counters at its 18 hospitals where patients with conjunctivitis would be provided medicines free of cost.

Talking to newsmen on Thursday, the city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, said that all the city government hospitals in Karachi have been given the required quantity of eye drops for the treatment of people suffering from conjunctivitis.

He said the required medicines, including Genticyn and Chloranphenicol eye drops for about 0.566 million patients and a sufficient quantity of polyfax are available in stocks and if more drugs were required, the city government will meet the shortfall.

Moreover, pharmaceutical companies and philanthropists have been requested to donate medicines to the city government hospitals, he added.

Quoting medical experts, the Nazim said though the virus causing conjunctivitis starts dying within four to five days, the people should take preventive measures, such as washing eyes three and four times a day.

He said that with a view to educating the people about the diseases, the city government is launching an awareness campaign and for this purpose they would be apprised about the preventive measures through pamphlets, banners and other means.

The Nazim also announced that the CDGK would set up an institute of public health management sciences.

Underscoring the need for such an institute, he said since there was always a threat of outbreak of epidemics in the city in the wake of its ever-growing population, such an unforeseen situation warrants existence of this kind of institute for educating the people about health problems.

He said planning of the proposed research institute had already been initiated.