CM directs authorities to improve management of Darul Amans

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the high-ups of the Social Welfare Department to come up with proposals within 15 days in order to streamline and improve the overall management of Darul Amans across the province with the aim to make them fully functional and ensure the availability of the required amenities therein.

He said it was the responsibility of the department to ensure the provision of quality facilities and safe environment to the helpless women and children living in Darul Amans.

He was chairing a meeting regarding Darul Amans here the other day. The meeting reviewed the existing situation of Darul Aman across the province with a special focus on the provision of basic facilities, implementation of SOPs and other day-to-day management issues.

Besides MPA Dr Sumaira Shams, Secretary Social Welfare Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Director Social Welfare Habib Afridi, the meeting was also attended by other quarters concerned.

The meeting was informed that at the moment six Darul Amans were functional in various districts of the province including Abbottabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Haripur and Mansehra whereas three Darul Amans were under construction.

The chief minister termed the provision of a safe environment and basic facilities to the women and children living in those Darul Amans as the key responsibility of the government and directed the quarters concerned for necessary steps to improve the overall management of these Darul Amans.

He further directed the authorities concerned to immediately post out all the male staff in Darul Amans and replace them with female staff and make sure that only female staff members are deputed in Darul Aman.

He said fresh positions for female staff be created if required. Mahmood Khan further directed that keeping in view the cultural norms of the province, entry of men into Darul Amans be banned and an effective mechanism of monitoring be put in place to maintain a safe environment there.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan inaugurated the newly constructed block of Women and Children Hospital Rajjar here on Saturday.

The newly constructed block has been reserved for Covid-19 patients for the time being in a bid to provide healthcare facilities to the corona patients.

As many as 120 High Dependency Beds and Nine Intensive Care Beds have been set up in the new block in addition to other necessary medical care facilities.

The number of critical care beds can be enhanced if so required. The chief minister visited various sections of the new block and reviewed the arrangements put in place for corona patients.

High-ups of the Health department briefed the chief minister about the critical care facilities available for corona patients therein.

Provincial Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Fazle Shakoor, Special Assistant to CM Arif Ahmadzai, Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz, Secretary Health Imtiaz Hussain and others accompanied the chief minister. Speaking on the occasion, Mahmood Khan said the government was taking possible steps to effectively deal with the corona pandemic.

He added that all resources were being used to stop the spread of the coronavirus. He said that capacity of hospitals across the province was being enhanced to deal with the increasing number of corona patients. He said the government was taking steps to contain the pandemic and added the government’s efforts would not yield the desired results if the people didn’t cooperate. He urged the people to strictly follow the precautionary measures and cooperate with the administration in implementing the Covid-19 SOPs.