The Health Department of the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken a number of reforms and initiatives to ensure every individual in the province has access to quality health services. In order to establish a welfare government, free healthcare has been ensured for patients with major diseases and the impoverished segment of society.
According to three years' progress report issued by the Department of Health, 1000 nurses, 600 paramedics and 300 doctors have been recruited on Ad hoc bases to meet the shortage of medical staff in hospitals of the province.
A separate allocation of more than Rs 3 billion has also been made to give special financial incentives to doctors serving in far flung areas.
For treatment of deadly diseases such as Aids, Cancer, Hepatitis and Diabetics, an amount of Rs 500 million has been allocated in seven divisions of the province.2,118 Aids patients are currently registered with HIV treatment centre who are being provided free treatment at Hayatabad Medical Complex and DHO Hospital Kohat.
Additionally, the ADP for year 2016-17 allocates Rs 1.00 billion for free emergency treatment in all teaching and DHO hospitals of the province. A total of 500,000 patients have received free emergency treatment till now.
Under the recently launched Sehat Sahulat Card Scheme, 1.8 million households will be able to get free medical treatment amounting to Rs 540,000 per household every year.
The amount will not only cover the service and treatment charges of hospitals but will also cover the cost of medicine. The services can be availed at designated hospitals including private and public sector hospitals.
The government has also extended Kidney Transplant and Dialysis facility to Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Ayub Medical Complex. The facility has also been extended to hospitals in District Kohat, Di Khan, Bannu, Swat and Mardan.
A total of Rs 25 million has been allocated for free insulin being provided at insulin banks in Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Kohat, DI Khan, Bannu, Swat, Mardan and Abbotabad. Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics are provided with free insulin at these health centres.
The government has also allocated Rs 200 million for immunisation programme and steps have been taken to ensure every child is immune from Polio virus.
In order to ensure efficient health service delivery and accountability in all the hospitals of the province, independent monitoring units (IMUs) have been established. The IMUs have helped in ensuring attendance of hospital staff as well as ensuring the availability of medicine and medical equipment's.
E- Offices (Paperless Offices) have been launched from the health secretariat with the aim to computerise all the file work of hospitals. The E-Offices will help in reducing burden of file work in hospitals as well as making the service delivery more efficient.
Three medical colleges ie Medical College Nowshera, Medical College Gujjar Khan and Temergera Medical College are also being established. The provincial assembly has also passed the KP Healthcare Commission Act, 2015, to streamline the medical practices and provide effective and quality services to the people.
The provincial Government has passes the Health Care Commission Act 2015 with the aim to take action against illegal clinics and hospitals in collaboration with the district administration and to ensure availability of standard facilities to the patients.
The commission has issued 1700 registration certificates whereas 4600 applications for registration have been received from health service providers. The HCC has replaced the Health Regulation Authority, which was established in 2002 with the same functions but it failed to show any progress owing to non-existence of rules and regulations.
The ADP for 2016-17 further includes mega schemes for promotion of better health service delivery in the province. An amount of Rs 14 billion has been allocated for development projects which include construction of casualty block in KTH and Bannu medical University.
Additionally, buildings will be constructed for Bannu Medical College and Peshawar Institute of Cardiology whereas DHQ of Nowshera and Kohistan will be upgraded. Two billion rupees have been allocated for purchasing of land and construction of Gajju khan medical college. Rs 1.9 billion have also been allocated for up gradation of Saidu medical college to a teaching institute.
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