Daily Times

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has taken notice of the rising infant mortality rate in the newly established district Upper Chitral and directed the high ups of Health Department for immediate steps to address healthcare practitioners’ deficiency and trained lady health visitors (LHVs) in the health delivery outlets of the district.

He issued these directives while chairing a meeting held here, said a press release issued here Tuesday. The meeting reviewed progress on the provision of basic health and education facilities in the backward areas of Malakand Division.

Besides, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Health Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education, Yahya Akhonzada, Secretary Higher Education Muhammad Dawood, Special Secretary to CM Mohammad Khaliq and other concerned officials of Finance and Planning Departments also attended the meeting.

The chief minister directed to take necessary steps on priority for the up-gradation of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Booni in Upper Chitral to District Headquarters Hospital having basic specialties, and to ensure the posting of specialist doctors therein.

The Chief Minister made it clear that specialist doctors should be posted to the hospital in the best public interest under the government posting transfer policy and no political pressure be entertained in this regard so that provision of basic healthcare facilities could be ensured to the people of the district at their door steps.

The Chief Minister also directed the authorities of Health Department to take necessary steps to address the shortage of doctors and other medical staff in the healthcare centers of Lower Chitral and Upper Dir and to submit a report on progress to this end.

Similarly, the chair further directed the high ups of Higher Education Department to complete the remaining civil on the under construction building of Government Girls Degree College Sakha Kot as soon as possible and to ensure the commencement of classes in the college from the coming academic session.

He also directed the Higher Education Department to complete the feasibility study for the establishment of a Commerce College in government building available in Shangla District as soon as possible so that, if the scheme was feasible, classes could be started therein from the next academic year.

The meeting directed the concerned authorities to shift the Polytechnic College Batkhela running in a rented building to a permanent building, identify suitable land for setting up Girls Degree College at Khwazakhela and to complete feasibility study within three months for the establishment of Swat University Campus in Dargai.