Turkey expands ultrasound facility in Pakistan hospital

Turkey's state aid agency has gifted five color ultrasound machines to Pakistan's largest public sector hospital, expanding its existing ultrasound facility.

The color Doppler machines have been set up at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) to provide free of cost services to the citizens of Karachi -- the country's commercial capital.

Kamil Kolabaş, adviser to Turkish minister of culture and tourism, and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency's (TIKA) Karachi Coordinator Ibrahim Katırcı on Monday inaugurated the expanded ultrasound facility at a ceremony at the JPMC.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kolabaş said the expansion of the ultrasound facility was a gift from the people of Turkey to their Pakistani brethren.

The Turkish government, and the people, he said, would continue to support Pakistan in efforts to provide better health facilities to its people.

Katırcı said the addition of the new machines would not only improve the hospital's incumbent capacity but also help needy patients ease off the financial burden, and get good health facilities.

Dr Tariq Mahmood, head of the JPMC's Radiology department, for his part, thanked the Turkish government for the donation, which, according to him, would significantly improve his department's capacity.

Induction of the new machines, Mahmood said, would increase the facility's capacity from 600 patients to 750 patients per day.

TIKA has been active in Pakistan in several public welfare sectors, mainly health, education, water sanitation, and vocational training.

The agency has recently established a state-of-the-art laboratory in remote Mithi town of Tharparkar district, apart from providing solar power equipment to nine community schools in different parts of southern Sindh province.