Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has assured the initiation of the true concept of functionalism in the public sector institutions in the province in order to ensure efficient delivery in consonance with the public aspirations.
He also agreed to inaugurate Nowshera Medical College by the end of next week. His government has already laid down and completed the required level of infrastructure in the public sector medical college and, with the passage of time, the government would continue fulfilling all the requirements required for different medical colleges throughout the province.
He was talking to PMDC President Shabbir Ahmad Lehri, accompanied by three members of the executive council here at Chief Minister House. Nowshera Medical College Principal Dr Tahir and other concerned officials were also present. The meeting also decided to conduct the inspection visit for Nowshera Medical College by the relevant team of PMDC—which is required for the recognition of any professional college by the PDMC. The chief minister directed the provincial authorities to complete their preparedness in order to get the college approved at the relevant forum.
Khattak also directed to post the principal of Gaju Khan Medical College on a permanent basis because, at present, there was no permanent principal to run the college. He directed the relevant authorities to move swiftly, appoint a principal, and fulfil other requirements if any.
The chief minister also directed to formally move a case for the registration of Dir Medical College before March 30. A decision in this regard has already been made.
Khattak assured the PMDC team that his government was open to all suggestions and would put on the ground the recommendations made by the PMDC team, adding that his government had already set a mechanism for collective decision making.
He also took various proposals leading to the transparency of Sehat Insaf Card. The Sehat Insaf Card was a revolutionary step mainstreaming the marginalised population of the province for a free and efficient healthcare. Under the programme, the poor families would get free treatment up to five lakhs. The government made this decision in order to properly and transparently use the public resources for the needy.
Regarding the meritocracy in the private sector professional colleges, the chief minister agreed to work out a mechanism, and soon a regulatory regime would be put in place in this regard. He also talked about the revamping and giving autonomy to the tertiary health care, adding that doctors were given attractive packages to deliver in public sector hospitals; these attractions were at par with those in the developed countries. He added that because of the government decision to reform the system, the doctors were out there attending their professional responsibilities in the public sector hospitals, the deficiencies beyond the doctors and other auxiliary staff to the missing facilities in these hospitals got completed and the people started showing their satisfaction on the treatment facilities in the hospitals.
Khattak wished for another visit of the PDMA team to the province so that further decisions and steps could be contemplated. He also asked the team to give the provincial government details of the process of establishing private entities in the healthcare sector and the agreed points under which these entities would have to be run.