Allowing One Dish On Weddings Under Active Consideration - Soomro
27 May, 2006
ISLAMABAD: A nine member delegation of Hotels, Motels and Wedding Halls Association, Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Northern Areas led by Ch. Mohammad Saddiq, called on Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro here Friday. The delegation informed the Chairman Senate that the restriction on the provision of meals during weddings has hit the hotel industry and that it would render hundreds of thousands of workers jobless. Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro said that the ban was imposed long ago with a view to curtail the wasteful expenditures on marriages and that the issue, being of public importance was being reviewed. He said that the government was conscious of the difficulties being faced by the people and it was for this reason that it has introduced a bill in the National Assembly which would be discussed in detail by the concerned Standing Committee. He assured the delegation that as soon as the bill is received from the Lower House it would be placed before the Senate for passage. A delegation of HCA International Hospitals led by Mr. Keith Hague, Chief Executive Officer, the Wellington Hospital called on Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro. The delegation informed the Chairman Senate that a team of doctors from HCA International Hospitals is visiting Pakistan these days to explore possibilities of cooperation in health sector and that it was willing to develop strategic alliance with some of the prestigious medical educational institutions especially for facilitating research, capacity building and lectures by world class specialists. The Chairman was informed that HCA had an international reputation for the excellence of its services including cardiac care, oncology, neurosurgery and rehabilitation. He was further informed that their team was working closely with medical teams at London. Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro commended the initiative taken by HCA International Hospitals and termed it a farsighted move. Mr. Soomro informed the delegation that the standard of medical education in Pakistan was quite up to the mark and that a number of Pakistani doctors were working in European countries including USA and UK. The Senate Chairman pointed out that as we have limited resources, there is a need to involve the community in the fund raising programme for improving the preventive, curative and rehabilitative care facilities in the country. Later, a four member delegation of Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) led by its President, Prof. Mumtaz Hassan, called on Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro. The President of PPA said that no children hospital has been setup in NWFP despite the fact that the decision was taken as far back as 1983. He said that assistance from the Federal Government would help boost the project. The Senate Chairman expressed the view that child health is an area where more focus needs to be laid. He assured the delegation that he would take up the case with the concerned Federal and Provincial authorities with a view to ensure that this long delayed project is completed at the earliest.
|
