PHC orders funds’ release for treating thalassemia patients

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the deputy commissioner of the Khyber tribal district to release funds for thalassemia patients under treatment in the Khyber Medical Complex Hematology ward.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan issued the direction in a writ petition filed by parents of the thalassemia patients against stopping the government fund for treatment of about 80 thalassemia children from the Khyber district.

Parents of the thalassemia patients, including Suleman and others, had filed the writ petition in the high court through their lawyer Fida Gul. Minor children of thalassemia patients also appeared in the court.

On the court's order, additional secretary Health and Khyber district deputy commissioner appeared in the court. The deputy commissioner informed the bench that they were facing difficulties with financial issues after the merger of the tribal districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that was why funds had been stopped to the patients.

The official said earlier funds had been released to the patients form the Agency Endowment Fund on which they were also receiving annual interest. Under the previous policy, he said of the agency's Endowment Fund, 30 percent were being used for education and 70 percent for the Health problems of the tribal people.

Presently, he said our powers of using funds had been reduced and as per the direction of the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, funds would not be used without the prior approval of the Peshawar commissioner. He said that he had already sent a letter to the commissioner for releasing the funds for the thalassemia patients.

However, the bench ordered the deputy commissioner to release forthwith the funds for treatment of the patients and that he would be authorised for releasing the fund for thalassemia patients of the Khyber district.