RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Shaukat Yousufzai on Monday said a new health policy will be announced in the next week in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, through which free-medical facilities and emergency services will be provided at periphery healthcare centres at all districts of the province.

Speaking at a function of awards distribution and health insurance letters among local journalists, jointly organised by Peshawar Press Club and Khyber Union of Journalists here on Monday, he said the government is taking proactive steps for provision for better healthcare facilities to everyone in the province.

For this purpose, he said a concrete policy would be announced from next week, under which emergency services will be provided at periphery health facilities in the entire province. A change will be seen after the introduction of new policy in the health sector, he maintained. He said free-medical health services will be extended to underprivileged districts in KP, like Kohistan, Chitral and DI Khan. The Provincial Minister said KP government faces host of challenges in the health sector, but these are being fully tackled with all the issues by imposition of better policies and practical steps.

He informed that more than 500 new doctors have been inducted, along with 675 nurses, and 300 to 400 technicians while keeping in view their growing deficiency at public sector health hospitals and tertiary healthcare units in the province. The process of recruitments of the medical and technical staffs will be completed within a week, he said.

Yousufzai informed that the directives are being issued to commissioners of all districts, to establish a monitoring cell, and said free-medicines will be provided at Basic Health Units, Rural Health Centre, and districts headquarters level hospitals.

About the blocking of Nato supplies route and US drone strikes, the KP Minister said they had great expectations from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take-up issue of drone attacks with Obama administration during visit to US, but the visit was merely stick to gain Aid and dollars, and kept silence about the rising the issues of drone attacks.

“We will stop Nato supply-lines in KP after November 20 and PTI workers will also not allow to transport logistics to US troops via Karachi and other routes to Afghanistan,” he KP Minister vowed. “We are not concerning about imposition of Governor Rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but we will stop the NATO supplies at any cost,” he determined. He said PTI government always opposed the US drone attacks and military operations and staged a Dharna against them. He said PML-N led government should take proactive steps for restoration of peace and stoppage of US drone attacks, as it made a commitment with masses, before the general elections in this regard.

Regarding the allegations of corruption of PTI Ministers, he said the government established an accountability cell to take action against Ministers and MPAs of the Party; if corruption charge proved against them. But, he said, the news published in a daily Urdu newspaper was completely baseless, which is aiming to target only the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. KP Minister appreciated the role of journalists’ bodies for extending health insurance scheme for the members of the community. He stressed upon the journalists’ community to embark their professional obligation with full responsibility and base of complete truthfulness.