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PESHAWAR, Nov 21 (APP):An important meeting of the Health Department was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi, in which a detailed review was conducted on the overall situation of the health sector, ongoing reforms, and future requirements.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister, in view of the growing demand for nurses, announced the imposition of a “Nursing Emergency” in the province and issued directives to ensure immediate recruitment for vacant nursing positions through ETEA.
He also instructed that a new letter be drafted to the Nursing Council for securing 650 trained nursing slots.
The Chief Minister further directed that the ongoing recruitment process to address the shortage of doctors and specialists in hospitals and health centers be completed promptly, emphasizing that no compromise should be made on merit and transparency.
He instructed that concrete and effective measures be taken to control diseases such as polio, dengue, and malaria, and ordered strict and timely implementation of the Dengue Action Plan.
The meeting also instructed that the procurement process for medicines and equipment must begin from January 1 without fail, making it clear that no delay would be tolerated in this regard. The Chief Minister directed that necessary steps be taken to strengthen the Health Care Commission.
On this occasion, referring to the growing burden on Peshawar’s existing tertiary care hospitals, he said that the establishment of new hospitals with a large number of beds in Peshawar, Kohat, and Malakand should be assessed and feasible proposals be presented. He said that, in view of the needs of the growing population, urgent measures must be taken, and for this, a practical and realistic strategy is essential.
The meeting also issued directives for the completion and early operationalization of the Khyber Institute of Child Health. The Chief Minister instructed that notices be issued to the responsible officials and weekly progress reports be submitted.
He expressed determination that all ongoing priority projects in the health sector would be completed on time and that unnecessary delays in public welfare projects would not be tolerated.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that the health sector was the top priority of the government and that all possible measures will be taken for its improvement. He assured that the government would not allow shortage of resources to hinder the improvement of public health.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing on various health services, budget expenditures, development projects, reform initiatives, and other matters under the department. It was informed that a total of 182 projects are included in the current Annual Development Program, of which 76 are nearing completion. Similarly, work is underway on nine flagship projects, including the establishment of a Burn Center in D.I. Khan, the establishment of health laboratories in various hospitals based on need, the establishment of Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences, reconstruction of Liaquat Memorial Teaching Hospital Kohat, and the standardization of DHQ Hospital Mardan.
It was further informed that progress is ongoing on 51 mega priority projects, including the restoration of health facilities in merged districts, the establishment of a Paraplegic Center, the upgradation of the Accident & Emergency Unit and ICU at Hayatabad Medical Complex, the establishment of a nursing college in Upper Chitral, the restoration of health centers across the province, and the strengthening of the EPI program.