LAHORE: Another 18 laboratories were found operating without requisite facilities and qualified pathologists in raids by a team of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) and City District Government`s drug wing in three localities here on Sunday.

Ten such laboratories and centres in Cantonment, five in Allama Iqbal Town and three along Mayo Hospital Road were stopped from carrying out diagnostic tests for their failure to meet basic diagnostic and patho-logicalfunctions criteria.

Legal proceedings were also initiated against Shan Lab and X-ray Centre, Zeeshan Lab, Rescue Lab and Collection Centre, Fahus X-ray and Lab Centre, Karmaanwala Jarahi Shifakhana, Haq Digital X-ray, Rescue Lab, Family Care Clinic and Lab, Raheela Lab and Collection Centre and National Laboratories in Cantonment area; Khan Laboratories, Lab One, Fayyaz Chughtai Lab, Ikram Diagnostic Centre and Lab and Zeenat Collection Centre in Allama Iqbal Town while Hanaan Laboratory, AK Medical Lab and Life Laboratory and X-ray Centreon the Mayo Hospital Road.

These laboratories and diagnostic centres were operating without any authorisation of the PHC and had the worst clinical conditions when raids were conducted.

Owners of these labs had been directed to get their f acilities registered with the PHC after meeting standards of diagnostic and pathological tests.

The PHC had on Feb 2 stopped five laboratories and centres in Shadbagh, 10 in Samanabad and nine along Ferozepur Road from carrying out diagnostic tests.

MEASLES COVERAGE: The measles II coverage must beimproved in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Sheikhupura districts as lack of vigilance may risk an outbreak in the summer.

`Complacency must be avoided in polio eradication and mother neonatal tetanus and good work should be continued after recent successes,` said Extended Programme on Immunisation (EPI) director Dr Munir at a monthly meeting of the chief executive officers(health)and the directorate-general of health services here on Sunday.

Presiding over the meeting, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department secretary Ali Jan Khan said the revamping of 40 hospitals in Punjab would be completed in the ongoinghscalyearandtheproject would finally be expanded to all hospitals in Punjab.

He directed that implementation of development projects should be expedited so as to ensure optimal utilization of resources.

`Prevention of hepatitis B and C is the top priority and the system needs to respond aggressively to the challenge,` responded the secretary when informed that the Hepatitis Control Programme was devising innovative plans to rise to the challenge.

The secretary said hospitals having more than one medical specialistwould ensure their presence in different shifts.

Hospitals ensuring compliance would be awarded.

Mr Khan also directed that penalties be imposed and disciplinary action be taken against the staff not complying with the biometric attendance.

Regarding the new hospital management structure and new organogram, the meeting was informed that medical superintendents would have technical and non-technical support staff with them for better service delivery.

The Chief Minister Roadmap team presented analysis on key performance indicators for the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

The status of safe deliveries, presence and posting of medical of ficers and consultants besides janitorial services was reviewed through data analysis.