LAHORE, June 21: Governor Khalid Maqbool has said the Punjab government will coordinate with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to make available modern equipment for the first Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit at Inmol, Lahore. He was speaking at a ceremony after laying the foundation stone of the Muzamil Anwar Unit for bone marrow transplantation at Inmol on Tuesday. The construction of the unit with a cost of Rs6 million is being financed by a UK-based Pakistani, Anwarul Haq.

The governor said modern equipment worth Rs35.5 million would be installed at the proposed unit. He also said a PC-I had been completed to provide the latest equipment worth Rs600 million to Inmol through the PAEC. He said the prime minister would soon inaugurate another Inmol branch at Gujranwala.

He asked Inmol management to upgrade the training facilities for nurses and paramedics.

The governor asked PAEC chairman Pervaiz Butt to collaborate with the Punjab universities to promote nuclear energy education.

He lauded Mr Haq for donating the amount to establish the first bone marrow transplant unit in Punjab.

Health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed said the bone marrow transplantation was a much-needed speciality in the province. He said this could help cure cancer and acute leukemia patients. He said some 100 patients from Punjab were going abroad to have bone marrow transplant annually, each spending some Rs7-8 million for the life-saving procedure.

The PAEC chairman said the commission was working in the industry, agriculture and health sectors. He said the commission was running 13 cancer hospitals in the country and would be having six more in Gujranwala, Gilgit, Bannu, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan and Nawab Shah during the next financial year.

Inmol Director Dr Saeeda Asghar and Mr Haq also spoke on the occasion.