Protection of honour, dignity of people responsibility of state: Gilani 
By Khawaja Ahsan Paul 'Pakistan Times' Punjab Bureau Chief

LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the protection of honour, dignity and prestige of all the individuals of the society particularly the womenfolk is the responsibility of the state.

The government he said is committed to the protection of human rights specifically to check the atrocities being committed against women.

The Prime Minister said after viewing a presentation made by Ms. Musarat Misbah President Deplix Smile Again Foundation which is building a thirty bed hospital for the treatment and rehabilitation of women with acid burns in Sanghi near Multan in collaboration with the Italian chapter of Smile Again Foundation.

The presentation was made at the State Guest House here on Sunday afternoon.

The Prime Minister said that serving humanity is the most noble task and any contribution in this regard would help and facilitate our coming generations. The Prime Minister donated land out of his personal property in Multan for the Clinical Research Facility for the testing of medicines for local use and export.

The Clinical Research Facility the first of its kind in the region would have the facility for boarding/lodging of one hundred volunteers.

All expenditure to run this facility will be made available by the leading international pharmaceutical companies. A substantial income of this facility will supplement the running cost of the thirty bed hospital for the treatment and rehabilitation of women at Sanghi. The facility would also serve all major hospitals and medical facilities in Pakistan.

Ms. Musarat Misbah assisted by Dr. Masood in their presentation about the hospital mentioned that it would be a centre of international standard for reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation of women who suffered acid burns or stove explosion burns.

The thirty bed hospital it was mentioned would be build at the cost of Rs. 380 million and would be completed in a period of one and a half years. The hospital complex would include shelter homes for patients, physiotherapy centre, surgery operation theatres, vocational training centre, free dispensary and OPD facility. The land for the hospital has been donated by a philanthropist Mr. Qadir Nawaz of Sanghi.

Ms. Musarat Misbah further apprised the Prime Minister that a team of Italian doctors and surgeons is arriving in Pakistan on May 12,2008 to visit the site of the hospital and also to set up a camp at Lahore for the free treatment of women who had suffered at the hands of their husbands and relatives for acid burns, most of the cases she said come from rural Southern Punjab while some cases are also referred from other parts of the country as well.

The Prime Minister assured the Smile Again Foundation of complete support from the government in its endeavor to establish the hospital as well as the Clinical Research Facility.

He directed the concerned Ministry and organizations to examine the details of the projects and facilitate in the establishment of the facilities.●