Daily Times

The health infrastructure in the tribal district has been one of the biggest casualties of the war on terror in Pakistan. After merger, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decided to strengthened health care system in militancy effected area of the country.

Last year, the provincial government has lunched mobile health unit across the newly merged tribal district with an aim to fulfill the medical needs of ordinary citizens. The mobile health unit consists of specialized staff has treated and facilitated thousands of local and poor patients in the last six months in militancy hit district of Pakistan

We have talk to the in-charge of the mobile health unite operate in merged area of Pakistan. The general surgeon Dr. Wisal said that we trying to set up medical camps in remote areas to treat poor patients because lack of access to affordable and quality medical care is a challenge in rural areas of Pakistan. He explains that majority of the people in merged district are poor and cannot afford treatment or they don’t have access to the hospital due to the bad condition of roads and culture taboos.

The head of the mobile health unite further explain that these mobile units were setting up medical camps in the different tehsils and qualified doctor of military and civil were examining patients and provide them medicines for the free. He throws light over the resources provided by the provincial government said that the provincial government provided 28 vehicles to the seven merged tribal districts under the Mobile Hospital Program.

He further elaborated about the facilities they have in their mobile health unit explain that these mobile hospitals had the facility to formulate various diseases and tests including X-ray, Minor Operation Treater (OT), blood, Urine Screening, Gynecology and General OPD were available. The general surgeon and in-charge of the Mobil Health Unite conclude with a comment that we are further bringing improvements in the services which can be helpful in-service delivery and every poor person can benefit from it.

Since the beginning of the terrorism in Pakistan in 2005, there have been attacks on several health facilities in the former Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). After territorial merger and peace restored, the government has initiated more projects regarding health in militancy-stricken districts to improve maternal and child health.

The mobile health unit has shared six weeks performance report of the seven tribal districts of Pakistan. According to the report, the mobile health unit has treated patients including dental issues of the man, women and children across newly merged areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khyber District

The six months performance report shared by the authorities of Mobil Health Unite narrated that there are total of 22 campuses were set up in different areas of Khyber District and 23716 patients were treated including 4849 were men, 8788 women, 9540 children and 533 dental patients.

Orakzai & Kurram District

The statistic of the report on the southern district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shows that 5036 male patients, 5539 female, 8519 children, 651 dental and 2198 gynecological patients were treated in 38 campuses in different areas of Orakzai while there are total of 8744 patients were treated in 12 campuses established across Kurram district in which 3216 were male, 2197 female, 3024 children and 307 gynecological patients.

North & South Waziristan

The number shared by the in charge of the Mobil health unite explain that total of 19 campuses were set up in South Waziristan where a total of 6830 patients were treated in which 2246 male, 2005 female and 2579 children while total of 10255 patients were treated in 5 camps in North Waziristan in which 3422 male, 2135 female, 4155 children, 225 dental and 318 eye patients.

Mohmand & Bajur District

The evolution report of the such health unites shows that Five camps were set up in Bajaur district in which a total of 6188 patients, 1532 were male, 1931 female, 2725 children patients were treated while 13 campuses were arranged in Mohmand district in which out of total 14970 patients 4118 male, 4785 female, 5646 children 421 dental patients have been treated.

The tribal area is comprising of 7 tribal districts that are collectively bordered on the west by Afghanistan, and on the south and east by Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, as well as the Indian state of Punjab

During the war and terror, Taliban militants destroyed at least 300 health facilities which caused serious health problems for residents across tribal district of Pakistan

We contacted Wisal Yousafzai to find out about the damage to the health sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the tribal districts during the era of terrorism. The provincial base reporter has covered health for national and international organization that majority of the injured was expired, whenever there was a terrorist incident in the tribal districts.

He was of the view that the hospital in the merged area has no capacity to care the injured and the residents were force to brought them to provincial capital or the hospital in the settled area of Pakistan. The health reporter reminded that during the period of terrorism, majority doctors from the tribal districts either stayed at home or started their clinics and practices in populated areas like Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad which further caused damage to the health sector in ex FATA.

He through light over the establishment of mobile health unite explain that social norms restricted women’s mobility and access to health services in seven districts, which caused the quality maternal, newborn, and child health services. He welcomes the government initiative said that the establishment of such health unite will help in aware hygiene and women related issue on their door step in merged area of Pakistan, Yousafzai added.

He suggested government that the authorities should upgrade their hospital and ensure the availability of the doctors, nurses and paramedic staff because majority of the hospital in provincial capital are burden and people complaining non availability of the staff and health facilities across tribal districts of Pakistan, Yousafzai concluded.

Earlier, the quality of health services has been identified as key issue across tribal district of Pakistan. After Pakistan Tahreek Isaaf elected in country, the government has stressed the sustainable development of the merged tribal districts

Among many projects, health insurance cards, hiring of medical staff, upgradation of the hospital, training of health staff, been and the introduction of new management approaches for quality assurance has been initiated