Plan to set up Rs 212.015 million surgical technology institute

The Punjab government has finalised necessary arrangements to initiate development work on the Institute of Surgical Technology and revamping of Metal Industry Development Center, costing more than Rs 212.015 million to support surgical industry of Sialkot, said Chairman Task Force on Trade and Industry, Mian Muhammad Riaz.
Talking to media men here on Saturday, he said the surgical institute would play a pivotal role to help in bringing surgical industry out of stagnation while Metal Industry Development Center was also being revamped at a cost of Rs 51.556 million.
It would serve as a common facility center and work on both projects would be undertaken shortly. The government was making hectic efforts for acquiring instructors from Germany to impart latest training to students of the Institute of Surgical Technology, he said.
This institute, equipped with latest machinery, would impart training to 250 students in various fields of surgical manufacturing, he added. He said the institute would be the start of a new era, which could help increase export.
Mian Riaz said the surgical industry was enjoying monopolistic position globally and surgical instruments were most economical and coupled with unconditional guarantee of the finest quality. He said setting up of a Raw Material Bank was also under consideration of the government to provide raw material to surgical manufacturers and exports on fixed rates.
He called upon investors, especially the overseas Pakistanis, to focus on investing in stainless steel sector for improving production standard, as foreign buyers had become more quality conscious.
To cope with the shortage of trained and skilled workforce the government has taken numerous steps to produce skilled workforce in the country, he said. Riaz said that Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) would establish Poly Technical Institute for boys at a cost of Rs 171.539 million at Narowal and a government technical institute for boys in Pasrur at a cost of Rs 29.709 million.