Nutrition stabilisation centre opens in Mardan

Eight-bed WHO-backed facility to treat malnourished children

MARDAN:

In a major step towards combating child malnutrition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a state-of-the-art Nutrition Stabilization Center has been inaugurated at the Benazir Bhutto Children's Hospital in Mardan. The facility was officially opened by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Health Minister, Khaliqur Rehman.

The newly established center, equipped with eight beds, is designed to provide specialized medical treatment and protein-rich diets to children suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies. The initiative aims to ensure that malnourished children receive high-quality care and timely medical interventions to improve their health outcomes.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials and medical professionals, including the Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Teaching Institution Mardan, Professor Dr Jawad Ahmad; Hospital Director Mardan Medical Complex, Colonel (Retd) Dr Gulzar Ahmed Khan; Medical Director, Professor Dr Muhammad Syed; representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO); and other relevant officers.

The center has been established with the technical and material support of the WHO, which has provided beds, essential medical equipment, a specialized nutritionist, and trained support staff. To create a child-friendly environment, the facility also includes a dedicated play area for children and a fully functional kitchen to prepare protein-enriched meals tailored to the needs of malnourished patients.

Speaking at the event, Minister Khaliqur Rehman emphasized the government's commitment to providing immediate and quality healthcare services to the public. "Ensuring that children and families have access to effective medical care remains our top priority," he said.

He further highlighted that over recent years, the health sector in the province has undergone significant reforms and innovative measures, resulting in improved performance and service delivery.

After the inauguration, the Health Minister conducted a thorough tour of the hospital, reviewing the services being offered to patients and receiving detailed briefings from the hospital administration. During his visit, he also toured the catheterization laboratory at Mardan Medical Complex, where officials reported that over 700 angiography and angioplasty procedures have been successfully performed to date.

The Nutrition Stabilization Center is expected to serve as a model facility for tackling child malnutrition in the province. By combining medical care with nutrition-focused interventions, the center aims to significantly reduce the incidence of malnutrition-related illnesses among children in Mardan and surrounding areas.

Minister Khaliqur Rehman concluded by reiterating that all available resources are being mobilized to provide free, high-quality healthcare through programs like the health card initiative, benefiting hundreds of thousands of residents across K-P.