QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Wednesday informed the provincial assembly that his government had been providing funds to the patients suffering from cancer and heart, kidney and other diseases for their treatment in best hospitals of the country.

Speaking on a privilege motion of provincial Minister for Food Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetiran, the chief minister said that soon after coming to power the coalition government had decided to establish an endowment fund for providing financial help to the deserving patients suffering from serious diseases.

He said more than 1,200 patients had so far benefited from the endowment fund and his government was preparing a strategy for providing such funds to very serious patients as soon as possible because at present the money was being provided after completing formalities.

Mr Alyani said the poor people were definitely facing difficulties in the health sector across the country and especially in Balochistan and if any one suffered from cancer or some other serious disease the entire family faced financial crisis.

He said four years ago a cancer patient of his constituency sought help for his treatment. “I sent him to then MPA Prince Ahmed Ali for help, but the patient was disappointed as officials told him that half of the money will be given to him and other half will be taken by officials as graft.”

The chief minister announced that every citizen in the province would get health insurance card soon. He said work had been started on the construction of a cancer hospital in Quetta, while the government had also planned to establish a cancer hospital for children only.

He said the seed money of the endowment fund had been increased so that maximum number of deserving people could benefit from this facility.

Earlier, Sardar Khetiran informed the assembly that a cancer patient of his constituency lost his life after a doctor did not sign the documents.

Mr Alyani assured that a transparent inquiry would be conducted into the incident.

Mr Khetiran welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into the incident and said he or his security guards did not misbehave with the doctor.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail who presided over the session sent the motion of Mr Khetiran to the privilege committee of the house.

The deputy speaker also approved an adjournment motion of Nasarullah Zerey of the PkMAP for discussion regarding the murder of general secretary of central union of Balochistan traders Allahdad Tareen who was gunned down in his village Alizai of Pishin district on Nov 9.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2020