QUETTA: The Balo­ch­istan Assembly on Friday adopted two resolutions asking the provincial government to increase the annual grant of the Balochistan Institute of Nephrology and Urology, Quetta, to at least Rs2 billion and register all tractors and water tankers supplying water to the provincial capital and its outskirts.

National Party MPA Rehmat Baloch moved the resolution in the house seeking increase in the annual grant of BINUQ from Rs500 million to Rs2 billion to ensure free treatment facilities to the people of the province.

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He told the house that BINUQ is the only institute in Balochistan that is providing free treatment and diagnosis of kidney patients.

He said the facility also provides free medical tests and medications to hundreds of patients and performs surgeries for approximately 300 to 400 patients.

Additionally, he said, the institute carries out dialysis for 100 to 120 patients daily and it has conducted kidney transplants of 65 patients so far.

“In the 2015 Act, a grant of Rs500 million was allocated for BINUQ, which is now insufficient given the increasing number of patients and inflation and, therefore, the assembly recommends that the provincial government increase the annual grant of BINUQ from Rs500 million to Rs2 billion to ensure better and free treatment facilities for the province’s poor people,” Mr Baloch said while moving the resolution.

He said the budget allocated for BINUQ is sufficient only for two to three months.

Balochistan Minister for Health Sardar Faisal Khan Jamali also supported the resolution and said there is need to increase the hospital’s budget and assured that the provincial government is aware of the issue and it will address it.

Provincial Minister for Food Noor Mohammad Dummar suggested that since people from other districts also come to Quetta for dialysis, this facility should be extended to district headquarters hospitals also.

The house also adopted another resolution moved by the JUI-F female MPA Shahida Rauf seeking registration of all tractors and water tankers supplying water to Quetta and its outskirts and prohibiting drivers of these vehicles from using mobile phones and headphones while driving.

Tabling the resolution, she said that drivers of tractors and water tankers have been found careless while driving causing several serious traffic accidents which have resulted in the loss precious human lives.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2024