166 uplift projects are being implemented in Health Sector

Peshawar February 02 (Online): A total of 166 development projects are being implemented in the Health Sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for which more than Rs23 billion had been allocated in the budget of the current financial year. Out of these projects, 48 are due for completion which would be completed by the end of June this year.

These projects include Establishment of Bannu Medical College, Fountain House Peshawar, KMU Institute of Nursing and Medical Technology, Rehabilitation of Woman and Children Hospital Bannu, Establishment of Type-D Hospital at Tirah Bagh Maidan, revamping of Basic Health Units at merged areas and other projects of establishment and upgradation of hospitals.

Besides, work is also in progress on various projects of strengthening and revamping of Rural Health Centers and Basic Health Units across the province under which 47 RHCs and 200 BHUs would also be converted into 24/7 health facilities.

Similarly, work on a number of other mega health projects including Taimer Gara Medical College would be completed by the end of this financial year.

This was told in a progress review meeting of health department held here on Thursday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair. Provincial Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra, Chief Secretary Dr Shehzad Bangash, Principal Secretary to CM Amjid Ali Khan and higher authorities of health and other relevant departments attended the meeting.

The forum was briefed in detail about the progress so far made on development projects in the health sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Briefing about the current status of the outsourcing of health facilities in the province, it was informed that so far ten different health facilities have been outsourced through health foundation.

These facilities include six Category-D hospitals of different districts, one Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, one District Headquarter Hospital, One Rural Health Centers and a Model Hospital. Similarly, process for outsourcing nine other health facilities would also be completed by the first week of March this year.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister termed the timely completion of important development projects as one of the top priorities of his government and directed all the provincial departments to immediately start process of hiring human resource and procurement of equipment for the development projects with 75 percent of civil work completed so that the project could be operationalized without any delay when civil work is completed.

He said that timely operationalization of newly completed projects should be the priority for which all pre-requisites and arrangements be finalized well in time.

He particularly directed the health department to take concrete steps in order to operationalize the newly completed project in timely manner.

He also directed them to ensure all time availability of staff, equipment and medicines in the accident and emergency department of Tehsil and District Headquarter Hospitals.

In order to operationalized the equipment provided to the hospitals of merged areas, the chief minister has directed to immediately complete work on providing express lines of electricity to the hospitals. He termed Sehat Card Plus Scheme has a mega project of the provincial government and directed the quarter concerned to take necessary steps to cover the free treatment of cancer in the scheme.

He made it clear that all the directives issued regarding development projects of public welfare be implemented in later and spirit adding that progress report to this effect be intimated without any delay.