Improving health Govt to set up new hospitals

Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar Saturday said that the government will be setting up new state-of-the art hospitals in the country as it tries to eliminate polio and fatal diseases.

In a statement, she said that the country is on track to progress and prosperity, Radio Pakistan reported.

She added that the government is striving to improve healthcare facilities for the people.

Pakistan has struggled with eradicating polio, though it has managed to reduce cases significantly. From the peak of 306 cases reported in 2014, cases fell to just 54 last year.

So far this year, only 16 cases have been reported with the majority of cases being reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where eight cases have been confirmed. Sindh came in second with five cases reported.

There were two cases reported from the Federally Administered Tribal Area and just one case reported from Balochistan.

Bannu district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported the most cases with three while two cases were Shikarpur in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2016.