Paediatric emergency centres to be set up

Treatment at the facilities to be covered under Sehat Insaf Card

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has decided to establish paediatric emergency and telemedicine centres in the province to reduce the mortality rate of children.

This will be done under the Sehat Insaf Card scheme. Initially, the centres will be established at two major medical teaching institute (MTI) hospitals in Peshawar, namely the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC). Similar centres will subsequently be set up in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) for K-P’s southern districts, in Abbottabad for Hazara Division, and in Swat for Malakand Division. They will provide specialized health services to the children of these regions free of charge.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Provincial Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah which was attended by Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Taj Muhammad Tarand, Abdul Ghani Afridi, LRH Dean Prof Dr Junaid, CEO Health Dr Riaz Tanoli and Zonal Head of State Life Dr Faisal Noor.

Representatives of the Child Life Foundation also participated online in the meeting.

K-P Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said on the occasion that the establishment of the centres was being expedited.

“We will strive to establish a pediatric emergency centre at at least one hospital in each region so that the burden of referrals from regional areas to Peshawar is reduced,” he said, adding that efforts would be made to establish paediatric emergency centres at MTI hospitals which would significantly reduce the child mortality rate.

The Health Minister also said up to a 50 per cent reduction in child mortality could be achieved if emergency services were improved.

He added that every step was being taken to improve the province’s healthcare system as a top priority.