KARACHI, Dec 4: A cheque of $140,000 was handed over to the management of the Kidney Centre by the head of a multinational company on Saturday. The money is meant for dialysis - throughout the year - of more than 60 people who are suffering from end-stage renal disease.

The cheque was given away by Iqbal Bengali, the company's country manager. The event was presided over by the Federal Health Minister, M Nasir Khan.

In his speech, the minister said that beneficiaries of the money would include people who were initially underwent dialysis under the government's National Dialysis Treatment Services, which had to be closed down owing to lack of funds. After authorities stopped funding the initiative, several pharmaceutical companies stepped in, who have since then kept the project afloat. Mr Khan said the service initially covered some 1,800 individuals.

He also visited wards in which permanent arrangements had been made for dialysis of registered patients.