LAHORE, May 20: The Punjab health minister says the government is planning to establish a bio-medical equipment authority to ensure implementation of laws regarding standard of medical equipment. Dr Tahir Ali Javed said the government was also in the process of finalizing a legislation to empower the health department to regularly inspect private laboratories and hospitals for ensuring the provision of standard healthcare facilities and regulate their charges.

Talking to delegations of drug retailers, consultants and doctors, the minister said the government would ensure supply of standardized medicines to the people as laws in this regard were being implemented strictly.

He said the people were not satisfied with the supply and standard of medicines at present. The health department had taken up this task seriously and ensure supply of standardized medicines in the market. He vowed that the elements playing with the lives of innocent people would not be spared. The government would honour the chemists who were selling medicines according to the required standards, he said.

The minister stressed the need for launching a massive awareness campaign to sensitize people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent heart, bronchitis and various types of lung cancer.

He directed the oncologists to create awareness among the people as well as general practitioners regarding harmful affects of cancer and its treatment without proper examination. He said it was high time to promote social mobilization against smoking and cancer.

“Almost billions of rupees are being wasted on smoking annually, which is a major course of spread of deadly diseases like lung cancer and heart attack,” he said.