KARACHI, March 24: Sindh health minister Ahsan Ahmad has said that an amount of Rs725 million would be required to equip district and taluka hospitals, rural health centres and basic health units during next five years in the province.

These views were expressed by him on Sunday while talking to additional secretary development, Dr. Sri Chand Uchani, at his residence.

He said a summit meeting was held in the committee room of Sindh Secretariat to review the development schemes which also considered medical services being carried out in Sindh government hospitals and examined different plans and projects to bring about further betterment.

He elaborated that these plans included nutrition problems among women and children, improvement in blood transfusion services and upgrading laboratory facilities in the hospitals of districts of Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Sukkur.

The minister discussed with Dr. Sri Chand for upgrading facilities available at the Operation Theatre of Orthopaedic Unit, Civil Hospital, Karachi. He directed that pace of work on all the projects be accelerated.

Meanwhile, the Sindh health minister has issued directives for maintaining a vigil and observe emergency measures at all government hospitals in Karachi to meet any eventuality on the occasion of Ashura.

The minister said that any dereliction in this regard would be dealt with severly.

TB DAY: The minister, in his message on the occasion of “International Day of TB” underscored the exigency for developing awareness among masses against the lethal disease which was afflicting a large segment of country’s population.