Mutual benefits: Iran, Pakistan provinces vow to improve healthcare

K-P govt hospitals to be sent new equipment.

PESHAWAR: Iran’s Fars province and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department have agreed to work together on public health, primary health care management and medical education.

The two provinces formed a joint technical working group on Sunday to work on developing the health sector.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) by Shiraz University Chancellor Mohammad Hadi Imanieh and K-P Health Minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah. Health Secretary Muhammad Ishfaq Khan and chief executives of various major hospitals were also present at the event.

“Both countries will encourage visits of students and technicians working on public health including epidemiology, community-based initiatives and primary health care management,” the MoU reads.

Dr Imanieh said that they would provide the K-P government new equipment, including syringes, beds and X-ray machines, to help improve the quality of government health care.  He added that the process can start next month.

HMC chief executive Dr Muhammad Zubair Khan said that their 1300-bed centre has 457 doctors and 990 support staff.

“The hospital administration is planning to open a 60-bed burn unit in the next three months to deal with the growing number of patients in the province,” Dr Khan said.

Health minister Zahir Ali Shah said the exchange of students and medical experts was positive and hoped for more advancement in medicine.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2012.