Caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Newly Merged Districts Affairs, Industries, Commerce and Technical Education Dr Aamer Abdullah on Monday directed ensuring the release of the remaining 75% of the funds to the outsourced hospitals in the merged districts within a day.
The healthcare services in outsourced hospitals across the tribal districts in K-P are at a breaking point, with several facilities suspending their operations due to a distressing five-month delay in staff salary payments.
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A total of 19 hospitals in various tribal districts are operating under the public-private partnership model by the health department, and nearly all of them are facing financial issues resulting from withheld funds by the caretaker government.
While chairing a meeting of the Special Steering Committee, formed for Newly Merged Districts, here at Cabinet Room, Civil Secretariat in Peshawar, the interim minister also directed the P&D Department to forward the new HIEP economic plan for the merged districts to the Islamic Development Bank for possible financial cooperation.
Further, the caretaker minister directed to keep in touch with the Advocate General's Office for the purpose of consultation and guidance regarding the necessary legal and technical matters.
He said that the concerned department should take necessary steps to bring the small irrigation dams in the merged districts into use for the purpose of promoting fisheries.
In the meeting, the progress and implementation of the tasks given to various departments in the decisions of the previous meetings of the steering committee and provincial task force formed under the chairmanship of the chief minister were reviewed. On this occasion, the forum was informed that the process of capacity building of police in NMDs is ongoing.
“Nineteen DSPs and 85 inspectors of police have been promoted to the next grades while recruitment of 1,571 police personals through ETEA, will also be completed soon. Similarly, 513 ghost employees have also been removed from the police in these districts,” the meeting was informed.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2024.
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