Dr. Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital (ANTH) entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Government of Pakistan, ICT Administration and World Health Organization Pakistan in a signing ceremony held at the hospital on Thursday. ANTH’s Executive Director Col (Retd) Dr. Ghulam Mujtaba Abbasi, Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and Focal Person for Tobacco Control Sheryar Arif Khan, and Project Director Tobacco Control Cell, Ministry of Health, and Focal Point for WHO on FCTC/Illicit Trade, Dr. Samra Mazhar signed the LOI. ANTH Managing Director Yasir Khan Niazi, Director Dr. Areej Neyazi and other members of senior management were also in attendance.

Officials from Karachi Administration lead by Additional Commissioner Syed Jawad Muzaffar and including Additional Deputy Commissioner Karachi East Umaima Solangi, and Assistant Commissioner (G) to Commissioner Sheikh Abid Qamar graced the event with their presence. Other dignitaries at the event included Mentor/Pioneer of Tobacco Smoke Free Islamabad Dr. Minhaj us Siraj and Country Head. The Union International Khurram Hashmi. The guests were given the hospital tour where they witnessed ANTH’s quality facilities and appreciated the excellent healing environment as well as the strict implementation of anti-tobacco guidelines since the hospital was declared as a Tobacco Smoke-Free Health Facility by the Health Ministry in November 2021. Yasir Khan Niazi paid gratitude to the Health Ministry and ICT Administration for making the hospital part of the Smoke Free Islamabad project.

He said that a healthy and smoke-free environment in healthcare setups is essential, adding that ANTH is standing with the health ministry, ICT Administration, District Health Office WHO and The Union International for the success of this project. Dr. Samra Mazhar and Sheryar Arif Khan thanked ANTH management for opting to be part of the Health Ministry’s Tobacco Smoke Free Cities project. They addressed the audience and expressed that keeping public areas, hospitals, educational institutions and public transport free of tobacco smoke is our collective responsibility, moral obligation and legal duty. Imran Ali Ghouri, Head of Communications at ANTH, told journalists that the hospital will keep working closely with the Ministry of Health, WHO, ICT Administration on the Smoke-Free Islamabad project and that the hospital is soon opening a Tobacco Cessation Clinic to help make Pakistan a tobacco smoke free country.

Credit:
Independent News Pakistan-INP