KP CM directs implementation of dengue action plan

F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan has directed the Health Department to ensure strict implementation of the proposed dengue action plan in order to prevent the possible outbreak of dengue virus during the current season.
He further directed all the relevant departments and entities to fulfill their responsibilities in an effective manner for the purpose. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting of health department held here the other day, said an official handout issued here on Wednesday.
Advisor to Chief Minister for Health Dr. Abid Jameel, Chief Secretary Imdadullah Bosal, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Administrative Secretaries of Health and other relevant departments attended the meeting. The chair was briefed in details about the institutional reforms, administrative affairs, and implementations of development projects, status of available funds and other related matters of the health department.
The caretaker Chief Minister further directed the concerned authorities to take concrete measures to contain Leishmania and other infectious diseases as well. He urged authorities concerned to pay special attention to improve service delivery in the health sector in the merged areas so as to ensure provision of healthcare facilities at their door steps.
Similarly, the Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan directed for pragmatic steps to improve service delivery in the health services delivery outlets of peripheries of the settled districts with the aim to ensure treatment facilities to people at local level and minimize patients flow to tertiary healthcare facilities. The Caretaker Chief Minister has termed health as a prioritized sector of the caretaker government and directed the finance department to ensure the timely provision of required funds for the purchase of emergency medicines and other essential procurements in hospitals.
Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan also directed them to ensure timely completion of due for completion projects in the health sector adding that required funds should be provided on priority basis for the purpose. He further directed the concerned quarters to complete the ongoing inquiry regarding payments to hospitals working under the public private partnership and made it clear that the process should not affect services delivery in those hospitals and patients should not face any inconvenience.
Matters related to Sehat Card Programme and Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs) were also discussed in the meeting, however it was decided that a separate meeting would be convened to further streamline matters of MTIs and Sihat Card scheme. The Chief Minister has termed Sehat Card Programme as a good initiative of public welfare and said that the entire process of health card would be made transparent and more effective so that maximum benefits of this program could reach to the people.
Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan made it clear that all the decisions would be taken to this effect purely on merit and in the best public interest adding that there is no room for any political consideration in this regard. He remarked that the caretaker government is totally impartial and all its decisions would be public-welfare oriented.