WHO refurbishes 63 health facilities in KP

PESHAWAR: The World Health Organization (WHO) has refurbished as many as 63 health facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that had become almost non-functional after being affected by climate-induced disasters, especially floods in 2022.

The refurbished health facilities in KP are in districts — Charsadda, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Upper Kohistan, Nowshera, Swat, Tank, Hangu, Lower Dir, Haripur, Manshera and Abbottabd.

The initiative of the refurbishment of health facilities was taken in response to the disastrous floods in the country in the year 2022 and other climate change-related incidents including erratic rains, hailstorms, windstorms, etc, said Dr. Babar Alam, WHO head in KP.

Talking to reporters after the inauguration of a flood-affected Basic Health Unit (BHU) at Kotkay village in Charsadda, he said the rehabilitation process was in progress in the entire country.

The rehabilitated health facilities included Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), Labour Rooms, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, etc. Around 15 health facilities have been renovated in Dera Ismail Khan district which saw maximum damage in the 2022 floods. Similarly, 11 buildings were revamped in the Swat district.

Dr. Babar Alam said for the improvement of routine immunization, the WHO has supported the refurbishment of seven Divisional Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) halls in Mardan, Hangu, D.I.Khan, Bannu, Swat, Manshera and Abbottabad.

A total of 20 Labour Rooms were refurbished and made operational for the provision of necessary health facilities to expecting mothers and newborns in districts. Of these five each were in DI Khan and Swat, four in Tank, one each in Hangu and Charsadda, two in Upper Kohistan, one each in Lower Dir and Haripur.

Dr Babar Alam said these initiatives have been taken with the cooperation of the KP Health Department and service facilities were restored with the provision of required human resources and medicine.