Health minister says strict action being taken against illegal laboratories and spurious drug suppliers in market.
Minister for Health Shaukat Ali Yousafzai has announced free dialysis services and kidney transplants for poor patients. He said Rs100 million have been released to the Institute of Kidney Diseases, Peshawar, for free kidney transplants and Rs7.5 billion to ensure free dialysis services.
Speaking at a news conference in Peshawar on Friday, the minister said he has also directed that all district hospitals will be given an autonomous status in a bid to improve health services as well as administrative performances.
Yousafzai added that Rs1.2 billion for emergency services, Rs12.5 million for an insulin bank, Rs200 million for immunisation activities and Rs300 million for maternal health services had been released.
He said an insulin bank had been established in the province and free insulin was now available for diabetes patients. He added that an MoU has been signed regarding the establishment of burn centres in Dir, Chitral and Bannu that will be established soon.
Talking about the service structure of doctors, he assured it would be included in the next annual development programme, while a committee was being formulated to come up with a service structure for paramedics and nurses. Moreover, the stipend of nursing students had been increased from Rs3,600 to Rs5,000, he added.
The health minister said strict action was being taken against illegal laboratories and spurious drug suppliers in the market, adding 292 illegal laboratories had been sealed by authorities to-date. He said the Sehat ka Insaf campaign was being extended to Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda and Nowshera and awareness campaign against dengue had also been initiated.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2014.
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