SIALKOT, April 19: The Punjab government has given the status of teaching hospitals to Allama Iqbal Memorial and Sardar Begum Memorial hospitals. This was sated by Sialkot district Nazim Mian Naeem Javed while presiding over a meeting held here on Monday to review the progress of annual development programme and construction work of Sialkot Medical College.

The Nazim said the provincial government had sanctioned 30 seats for self-financing scheme. He said 25 per cent of the income thus generated would be spent on the upgradation and strengthening of the facilities in the two hospitals.

The meeting was told that the district government provided medicines worth Rs46 million to DHQs, THQs, RHCs, BHUs and government dispensaries during the current fiscal year. The meeting was told that the Sambrial rural dispensary would be upgraded to hospital level, while the construction of burn unit at Allama Iqbal Memorial hospital at a cost of Rs20 million and Al-Shams block in Sardar Begum Hospital at a cost of Rs12 million was near completion.

SIKH PILGRIMS: A large number of Sikh pilgrims from the US, England, India and other European countries visited their sacred places in Sialkot and Narowal districts on Monday.

They participated in 500th annual birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak and took bath in the sacred pond near Gurdawara Kartarpura, Shakagarh. They also visited their native houses here amid tight security.