Ambassador of the Argentine Republic, Rodolfo Martin Saravia handed over medicines to Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
Argentine ambassador on the occasion said that this is the first contribution of the Argentine people to the people of Pakistan, an expression of solidarity that has overcome the geographic distance separating both countries.
According to an official of "Laboratorios Bago" the company was in close association with "Ferozson's Laboratories" to export to Pakistan Argentine produced medicines for treatment of cancer and hepatitis.
In December last year, on the occasion of the visit of President Musharraf to Argentina, both companies announced that they had decided to take their partnership one step further and create a joint-venture to build a plant in Lahore for the manufacturing of the very same medicines that are currently being imported from Argentina.
The initial objective is to provide the Pakistan people with cheaper medicines, while creating new jobs at the same time. Later on, both companies expect to be able to supply their products to other countries in the region, thus further contributing to the hard currency earnings of Pakistan's exporting pharmaceutical sector.
Talking to journalists Naseer said that efforts are being made to restore basic health infrastructure in quake affected areas of NWFP and Azad Kashmir.
He said the government has taken number of steps for the provision of health facilities in these areas including revival of AJK Abbas Hospital and basic health units. The government, he said would bear all the expenses occurring on the restoration of basic health units.
To a question about equipment problems in the temporary hospitals set by the government, helping countries and NGOs, he said all the donor countries have been requested to bring equipped hospitals.