PESHAWAR, Jan 29: NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has disclosed that the provincial government had allocated Rs11 million for the establishment of Hepatology Institute at the Hayatabad Medical Complex , Peshawar, to provide diagnostic and treatment facilities to hepatitis patients.

He was addressing as chief guest at a workshop on HIV/Aids at the Provincial Health Services Academy (PHSA) here on Saturday.

Director PHSA, Dr Salim Javed Gandapur, focal person Hepatology Institute, Dr Aamir Ghafoor, Dr Mohammad Zaheen, Dr Mahmood Alam and Dr. Ali Ahmed also spoke.

The health minister said the government, despite financial constraints, was striving to provide better health care facilities to the people.

Elaborating methods for the prevention of the dreaded HIV/Aids disease, the minister said that adoption of Islamic way of life and abiding by the cultural values was the only effective strategy to apply brakes on the killer ailment.

Mr Khan directed Dr Aamir Ghafoor, the focal person of the Hepatology Institute, to prepare an elaborate plan for educating such groups as health workers, barbers and truck drivers to control HIV/Aids from spreading in society.