CM says not to allow madrassa students to stage protests

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has inaugurated the Diabetic Mobile Clinic under the “D-talk and Insulin for Life Programme” for diagnosis, screening and treatment of diabetes throughout the province.

The Diabetic Mobile Clinic is first of its kind in Pakistan and is supported by Novo Nordisk, a multinational Pharmaceutical Company, which will help in the diagnosis of diabetes, screening and its type in far-flung areas of the province along with creating awareness about the disease among people.

The Mobile Clinic will also help in the screening of eyes and kidney damage of diabetic patients at an early stage to prevent blindness and amputations.

An official handout said that seven million people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are diabetic out of a total population of 40 million. It said the provincial government during its previous tenure had launched the “D-talk and Insulin for Life Programme” for providing free insulin to the underprivileged class of the society.

While addressing the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister stated that 16,000 patients were currently being provided free insulin in 15 districts of the province.

He added the health budget has been increased by 200 percent to ensure the provision of healthcare facilities throughout the province. He said the government was working for the betterment of the health sector.

According to certain estimates, one out of every six individual in the country is a diabetic patient which is alarming.

Commenting on the strike by the doctors in the province, Mahmood Khan clarified that reforms in the health sector were direly needed.

“The previous healthcare system cannot deliver as per the demands of people. People have elected us to address their basic issues and ensure the provision of basic human rights,” Mahmood Khan.

The chief minister rejected the propaganda by certain circles about the privatisation of the health sector and made it clear that no privatisation was being done under the DHA and RHA acts recently passed by the provincial assembly.

About the Azadi March announced by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the chief minister said the government would not allow the use of madrassa students for staging protests.

Mahmood Khan pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf staged protest against the previous PML-N federal government to demand probe into the Panama scandal and recounting of votes in four constituencies. He maintained that JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced the long march without identifying the issues.

A former cricketer and fast bowler Waseem Akram also addressed the ceremony and stated that the provision of free insulin to the underprivileged class of the society by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was a landmark achievement. He expressed the hope that other provincial governments would also follow this lead.

Minister Health Dr Hisham Inamullah, Danish Ambassador Rolf Holmboe, Vice president Novo Nordisk, Emil Larsen, GM Novo Nordisk, Rashid Butt legendary Cricketer Waseem Akram, Project Director of D-talk and insulin for life Prof A.H. AAMIR, dignitaries and others were also present.