By Malik Faisal Munir/DNA / District Correspondent
ATTOCK: Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that the establishment of the Dr. Sikandar Hayat Dialysis Center at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Hassan Abdal is a historic and significant initiative for the people of the area. The facility will enable kidney patients to receive dialysis locally, saving them from the hardship, expense, and time involved in traveling to Islamabad or Rawalpindi for treatment.
He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering held on the occasion of the inauguration of the Dr. Sikandar Hayat Dialysis Center at THQ Hospital Hassan Abdal. The ceremony was attended by PPP Divisional President Sardar Ashad Ashar Hayat Khan, PPP leaders Sardar Zulfiqar Hayat Khan, Haji Sheikh Amin, Malik Riasat Sadryal, Malik Amanat Khan Rawal, Malik Khizar, Sada Hussain Shah, Naseer Jadoon, Captain Faqir Khattak, Dr. Munir, Khurram Shehzad, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Tajuddin Rabbani, CEO Health Dr. Asad Ismail, tehsil administration officials, local political and social leaders, and a large number of citizens.
Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said the dialysis center is a major facility for the people of Hassan Abdal and adjoining areas. Kidney patients previously had to undertake long journeys for dialysis, incurring additional expenses and losing valuable time. With the establishment of this center, an essential healthcare facility is now available within their own city. He reiterated that public service is his foremost objective and that efforts will continue to improve healthcare and other basic facilities for citizens.
He said healthcare facilities are being continuously expanded across different areas of Attock district. Dialysis centers are already operational in Pindi Gheb and Fateh Jang, while a dialysis center will also be established in Jand in the near future. He added that a Thalassemia Center and Blood Bank are also functional in Fateh Jang, providing essential treatment facilities to patients.
The Governor further announced that, on the pattern of Hazro, a passport office would also be established in Hassan Abdal, enabling residents to obtain passport-related services without traveling to other cities.
Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said that dispensaries have been established in Ratwal and Dhurnal with assistance provided by China, which would help provide basic healthcare facilities to the local population. He also stated that collective marriages of 125 deserving and underprivileged girls had recently been arranged, while assistance to deserving families was continuing.
He said that on September 2, projects for the provision of laboratories and other essential facilities in schools in Hassan Abdal would also be inaugurated. These initiatives, he added, would provide students with a better environment for educational activities. Special attention is also being given to providing young people with modern educational opportunities.
Highlighting initiatives aimed at empowering women economically, the Governor said sewing machines had been distributed among women in Dhurnal to enable them to use their skills to support their families financially. Similarly, more than 1,000 laptops have been distributed among students to provide the younger generation with better access to modern technology and educational opportunities.
He further said that, with the cooperation of OGDCL, approximately 70 kilometers of roads in Jand had been repaired and constructed. The project would improve transportation facilities for local residents and contribute to development activities in the area.
The Governor said that, with the support of philanthropists and other contributors, the process of arranging marriages for deserving girls was continuing. Free treatment was also being provided to seriously ill and deserving patients at hospitals in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. Free eye treatment and surgical facilities were also being provided to deserving individuals.
Sardar Saleem Haider Khan thanked Haji Sheikh Amin for his cooperation in establishing the Dr. Sikandar Hayat Dialysis Center and appreciated the role of philanthropists in supporting welfare and public-service initiatives in the healthcare sector. He said that the government, political leadership, philanthropists, and citizens could work together to provide better facilities to deserving segments of society.
Prior to the gathering, the Governor Punjab formally inaugurated the Dr. Sikandar Hayat Dialysis Center at THQ Hospital Hassan Abdal and inspected the facilities being provided there. He appreciated the organizers and contributors for their efforts and expressed hope that the center would prove to be an effective and valuable healthcare facility for kidney patients. ,__DNA
