KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to conduct blood screening of all the students in order to address the health issues of school children that are receiving education in public and private sectors in the province once a year.
This decision was taken by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a meeting with Director General Anti-Narcotic Force Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik here at the CM House on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Secretary health Fazal Pechuho, Secretary Home Qazi Shahid Pervez, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput and Commander ANF Karachi Noorul Hassan.
Chief Minister said that after going through the news reports of usage of narcotics by the students of educational institutions in federal capital he has become worried about the students receiving education and living in hostels in Sindh. “I want the ANF to help Sindh government to combat this menace,” he asked DG ANF.
The DG ANF said that he was also conscious about the issue and his force has started working on it. “On this ANF needs support of provincial government for which CM’s guidance and approval was required and you have entrusted in us and the ANF would produce congenial results”.
The chief minister said his government has already launched a targeted operation against drug mafia. The ANF has to help the provincial government to eliminate the organized gangs involved in supply of narcotics items in the city. “When the Drug mafia moves unchecked they can penetrate anywhere particularly into the educational institutions,” he said and added “there should be a strong mechanism of surveillance for which police, Excise & Taxation should help and support ANF,” he assured.
It was also discussed in the meeting that the blood screening of students receiving education in public and private sector is most important in terms of keeping an eye on their health issues. “The government would bear the expenses of the students receiving education in public sector while educational institutions of private sector would be instructed to start a policy of screening the blood of each and every student at least once in a year,” this policy would help control all kind of diseases such as Hepatitis etc.
The chief minister directed Secretary Health Fazal Pechuho to give him a proposal for the purpose and also instructed his principal secretary to issue his directives to the education department and work out a detailed plan and submit him for his approval.
The DG ANF invited the chief minister to inaugurate Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Model Addiction and Treatment Centre (MATRC) Lyari constructed by Sindh government for Rs 6 million which he accepted. The Sindh Chief Minister also approved the proposal to provide a building to ANF for establishment of MATRC at Sukkur.
The chief minister on the advice of DG ANF directed secretary health Fazal Pechuho to establish a 10-bed facility in each and every district hospital for treatment of drug addicts. “This is very necessary to have a designated facility in DHQ for treatment of drug addicts,” he said.
Syed Murad Ali Shah issued directives to the BoR to arrange 10 acres of land for ANF at Machko, District West to establish a police station. A similar portion of land is also required to ANF for its police station at Hyderabad. A portion of defunct SRTC at Hyderabad was identified for which the chief minister directed his Principal Secretary Sohail Rajput to coordinate with transport department and provide them space to the ANF.
The chief minister also directed home secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez to coordinate between police, ANF and Excise departments for launching a coordinated operation against drug mafia operating in the city.
“I won’t allow the drug mafia to play with the lives of our innocent student/childrens. They are our future and it becomes our collective responsibility to keep them safe and secure from all the evils,” he vowed and urged the parent to support the government for the purpose.
Published in Daily Times, July 19th , 2017.
