CM for ensuring emergency medicines supply in hospitals

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the Health Department to ensure availability of emergency medicines in all the hospitals throughout the province.

Chairing a progress review meeting of the Health Department, the chief minister directed filling up all vacant positions in the hospitals of the province to cope with the shortage of doctors.

He ordered to ensure availability of anti-snake and dog bite vaccines in all the healthcare facilities of the province to ensure first aid and treatment to the patients on a priority basis.

Mahmood Khan agreed to the proposal to provide funds for the development of software to monitor the performance of doctors and supporting staff, said a handout.

The chief minister stressed the need for undertaking pragmatic measures for the treatment of dengue patients in the province, adding that initiatives should be undertaken on war- footings to root out the disease from the province.

The meeting was briefed in details on the performance of the Health Department, available medical facilities and future planning.

The chief minister was informed that 1504 healthcare facilities are currently functional in the province out of which 9 are Category A Medical Teaching Hospitals whereas 6 are Category A non-MTI hospitals.

Similarly, the total strength of Category B, C and D hospitals along with District Headquarter Hospitals/ Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals stands at 102, the total strength of RHC stands at 111 and the total strength of BHUs in the province stands at 77 facilities.

The chief minister was informed that 18,288 beds are currently functional in all the hospitals where 5070 beds are currently being made operational for patients.

The chief minister was also informed about the total strength of Medical Colleges and Universities in the province which stands at 41 including 10 medical colleges, Khyber Medical University, Four Dental Colleges, one post-graduate Medical Institute, one provincial health services academy, 10 nursing schools, three Paramedic Schools, one Post Graduate college of nursing, four Public Health schools, one post-graduate paramedic institute and five divisional Health Development centres.

Mahmood Khan was briefed on the performance indicators of the Health Department. The availability of staff in the BHUs of the province has increased from 67 percent to 77 percent since June 2018 to June 2019.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offered huge investment opportunities in hydel power generation and other sectors which need to be highlight properly. He was talking to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KPBOIT) Chief Executive Officer Hassan Daud who called him at the Chief Minister’s House.

The chief minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had vast openings in hydel, renewable energy, mines and minerals, tourism, agriculture and several other sectors.

“This natural potential needs to be optimized so that process of investment should be put on a fast track and jobs could be created for the hardworking youth of KP,” said Mahmood Khan.

The chief minister directed the KPBOIT chief to expedite efforts to ensure ease in doing business.

“Such efforts will facilitate the investors from China and elsewhere,” he said and added that there should be synergies while dealing with all stakeholders.

The chief minister stressed that opportunities from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the KP should be projected as the centre point of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC so that the investors may find suitable opportunities in the key sectors.

Mahmood Khan said that investment and industrial policies may be critically reviewed in terms of investment and liberal incentives be offered to attract investors.

The chief minister called for spreading the scope of the KPBOIT work and assured full support to the CEO of the board towards that end.