Chairing a meeting on "Hepatitis Free Punjab" at the Governor's House here, he directed to speed up hepatitis awareness campaign in the province, adding that help of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be sought to defeat hepatits.

Provincial Minister for Health Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, Secretary Specialized Health Care Momin Agha, Secretary Primary Health Zahid Akhtar Zaman, DG Food Authority Captain(R) Usman Younis attended the meeting.

The Governor Punjab said it was important to provide clean drinking water to masses to prevent fatal diseases like hepatitis, and the government would provide clean drinking water through Punjab AAB Pak Authority.

He said hepatitis and more than 70 percent diseases were caused by contaminated water, poor quality blood transfusions, unhygienic surgical tools and razors used in barber shops.

He said that under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide clean water to masses of Punjab, "AAB Pak Authority" had been established and it would ensure provision of safe clean drinking water.

Governor Sarwar was briefed that under "Hepatitis Control Program", awareness campaign for hepatitis was underway across Punjab while 55,000 beauty salons and barber shops were registered which would be given training on health hygiene.

Provincial Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, speaking on the occasion said that Free Hepatitis Prevention camps would be established across Punjab while 17th of December would be observed as "Patient Protection Day" in Punjab.

She said all the registered hepatitis patients in Punjab were provided with free medicines at government hospitals.