New MD appointed for Health Foundation

PESHAWAR: The Health Department has appointed a senior member of management cadre Dr Muhammad Javaid Khan (BS-19) as managing director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation (KPHF).He was serving as director (HRD) in Pakhtunkhwa Health Services Academy (PHSA) with additional charge of chief executive officer, medical faculty. He replaced Dr Umar Ayub Khan.

Dr Umar Ayub’s has been serving in the Police and Services Hospital as chief orthopaedic surgeon but held the position of managing director KPHFas additional charge for quite a long time due to his strong links in the political circles. Dr Javaid has vast experience of planning, management and technical advisory arenas serving diverse clients such as the department of health, German International Cooperation (GIZ), UNICEF and also for planning commission (GSDP) Qatar. He is stated to be the only qualified health economist in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had passed the Health Foundation Act on May 25, 2016.The act aimed at the establishment of Health Foundation to foster an enabling environment for private sector participation in health services development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Health Foundation would be governed by a Board of Governors selected through search and nomination council. The managing director will be acting as secretary to the Board.Section (9) of the Act prescribes qualification for the post of managing director as 15 years management experience in public health or medical profession with gradual increasing abilities of enhanced management.

The first steps expected to be taken by Dr Javaid include contracting out major diagnostic services like MRI, CT scan, doppler, tele-radiology, digital X-ray, in all the district headquarters level hospitals of the province.The government will also buy specialised health services not available in public.