KARACHI, Jan 20: The Gulberg Town administration has decided to establish more dispensaries within its jurisdiction to ensure that each of the eight union councils had one where free treatment to deserving people was available.

At present, three such dispensaries exist in Naseerabad, Yaseenabad and near Shafiq Mills whereas another one is ready to function at Aisha Manzil and is likely to be opened within a week. Four more dispensaries would be established in the next three/four months.

The Nazim of Gulberg Town, Farooq Naimatullah, told a news conference that each of the dispensaries would initially have a doctor, a nurse, a compounder, an inoculator and a Naib Qasid. The staff, he added, would be available during the official working hours.

The recurring and maintenance expenses of the dispensaries would be borne by the administrations of the Town and the respective UCs, he said adding that expensive medicines, usually not provided at public sector hospitals and dispensaries, would also be available at the dispensaries free of cost. Funds for the purpose would be provided out of the donations from philanthropists, he said.

Giving details of the dispensaries, the Town’s Health Committee Chairman, Dr Jalaluddin Saify, said that arrangements were also being made with some private clinical laboratories in the town for providing facility of free tests to the needy patients.

The committee, he said, with the cooperation of the Town’s Health Officer had chalked out a comprehensive plan for periodic medical checkup of children at all the government and private schools in the town. A massive vaccination programme, covering diseases like TB, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, Hepatitis- B, etc. had also been planned for the children, he revealed.

WALK: The Town Nazim said that with a view to creating awareness in the residents of the town about children’s medical checkups and importance of infectious diseases, the town administration intended to organize a walk on Feb 2. The walk would start from Aisha Manzil and culminate at Water Pump roundabout.