Islamabad: Azad Jammu and Kashmir government announced a package for the state’s health sector under which emergency health services would be started in 11 hospitals of the state besides creation of 1156 new posts in the health department.Â
The package was announced by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan at a high level held in Islamabad on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister, Minister of Health Dr Najeeb Naqi, Chief Secretary Sikandar Sultan Raja, Princial Secretary Ahsan Khalid Kiani, Additional Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hussain Shah, Secretary Finance, Malik Muhammad Sadiq, Secretary Health and other officials.
Unveiling the details of the health package, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that an emergency service is going to be started in 11 hospitals of the state from March 1st 2017. For emergency services 330 new posts of doctors, nurses and other related staff would be created besides the up gradation of State Nursing School Mirpur and establishment of new nursing colleges at Muzaffarbad and Rawalakot in next fiscal year.
The government also approved 1156 new posts of doctors, nurses and paramedics for AJK to overcome the shortage of staff in the hospitals. To improve the standard of health services in private sector hospitals, a health regulatory authority would be setup. The meeting approved to add1150 additional beds in various hospitals of AJK.
The Prime Minister also approved to establish a research and development centre at Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences and to ensure the purchase and provision of standard quality medicines approval for formation of technical committee was also granted. The meeting accorded approval to increase the number of nursing students from 25 to 50 in nursing school Mirpur. The meeting also gave approval for bringing ad hoc staff of Teaching Hospital New City Mirpur on normal budget from March 2017.
Minister for Health Dr Najeeb Naqi,Chief Secretary Sultan Skandir Raja and other officers attended the meeting. Â Meanwhile AJK government has also approved Rs 970 million for Prime Minister’s community Infrastructure Program. The funds will be utilised to complete 1571 infrastructure related projects in Azad Kashmir. Under the Community Infrastructure Program Rs 40 million would be spent in each constituency of AJK Legislative Assembly on public welfare projects. All the projects under this program including construction of water supply schemes, installation of tube wells, construction of footpaths, construction of additional rooms along with the existing schools, improvement of roads and streets would be completed in next four months.
