While the government has been striving to promote a healthy society through an effective network of facilities and services all over the tribal belt, the FATA Development planners associated with health sector have chalked out a comprehensive plan for improving health delivery system in the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA), with a total budgetary allocation of Rs 1664.037 million for the current fiscal year 2014-15 with main focus on completion of the ongoing health schemes.
In fact, the Health bosses in the FATA Secretariat under the especial directives of the Additional Chief Secretary FATA Mohammad Azam Khan, have been putting their best to bring substantial improvement in the delivery of health facilities keeping in mind the tribesmen common complaints of lack of doctors, state of the art facilities and medicines in the hospitals in the tribal agencies and that is why lucrative packages are being offered to the doctors to fill the vacant posts of medical offices in the health facilities all over the Tribal belt.
Health sector in FATA would receive 10.83 percent of the total development outlay amounting to Rs 15.372 billion which is the third highest allocations after Education and Communication sectors. The health budget is being spent on 51 ongoing and 39 new schemes in the current financial year for which Rs 1028.872 million and Rs 635.165 million have been allocated respectively.
The Federal PSDP 2014-15 documents revealed that the allocation for FATA has been pitched at Rs 19.00 billion. After deduction of rupee cover ie Rs 1.920 billion foreign aid component and Rs 1.708 billion for FATA Development Authority, the net development budget disbursable among tribal agencies and FRs is Rs 15.372 billion.
The Fata health ADP program focuses on 60 percent ongoing and 40 percent new schemes. Say the official sources. The FATA ADP has been designed with special focus on FATA Sustainable Development Plan and Post Conflict Need Assessment (PCNA). The budget would focus on provision of health, education facilities along with development of existing infrastructure in Fata.
The agency wise break up in health sector for 2014-15 are Bajaur to get Rs 183.601 million, Mohmand agency Rs 171.671 million, Khyber Rs 175.165 million, FR Peshawar Rs 14.078 million, Kurram agency Rs 78.002 million, Orakzai Rs 41.929 million, FR Kohat Rs 11.336 million, North Waziristan Rs 96.475 million, FR Bannu 11.276 million, FR Lakki Marwat Rs 5.316 million, South Waziristan Rs 162.591 million FR Tank Rs 14 million and FR D I Khan Rs37.069 million.
Under All FATA Program, as many as 16 new schemes in health sector have been proposed for 2014-15 including strengthening of health directorates, establishment of comprehensive eye care services in Fata, physical rehabilitation centers, improvement in existing health facilities, launching of hepatitis control program phase-11, establishment of thalasemia centers in AHQ hospitals, up-gradation of family welfare centre, mobile hospitals program, Solarization of existing AHQ and THQ hospitals, TB control program and award of scholarships to tribal medical students.
Similarly, sixteen ongoing schemes would be completed under all FATA program three in Khyber agency, five in Mohmand, four in FR D I Khan, five in South Waziristan, three in North Waziristan and five in Kurram agency in the current fiscal.
Of the total 39 new schemes proposed in ADP 2014-15, nine would be initiated under all FATA programs, and the rest 30 in the respective tribal agencies on need basis. South Waziristan agency topped the list of new schemes with thirteen projects, Bajaur, Mohmand and Orakzai agencies to get two new schemes each and all FRs will get one each new schemes in the current fiscal year.
The Fata health planners have proposed strengthening of health delivery system in tribal region, facilitation in polio eradication program, strengthening of EPI program, special package for health staffers, health nutrition set-up in FRs, standardisation of dentistry in AHQ hospitals and incentives for nursing students of FATA.
In South Waziristan Agency 13 new schemes have been proposed that includes establishment of labour suites in the existing health facilities, up-gradation of four civil dispensaries to CHCs in opened areas, up-gradation of one civil dispensary in Mehsud closed area and establishment of category D hospitals at Thanak, Makin and Sarwakai area.
Under the comprehensive plan, the health officials informed that the authorities have set major targets including standardisation, rehabilitation, strengthening and regularisation of existing health infrastructure in the tribal regions.
The independent observers are convinced that revolutionary reforms have already been affected in the tribal region and under the patronage of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan and able leadership of ACS FATA Mohammad Azam Khan much more are on the cards with the Education, Health and Communication getting the top priority.
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