Muzaffarabad: (Parliament Times) The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Farooq Hyder Khan has said that under Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s health scheme the AJK government has kick-started its first phase of the “24 Hours Free Medical Emergency Services” aimed at providing free health care facilities to the people of the region.
The AJK premier said this while inaugurating free emergency medical service at Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences in Muzaffar on Tuesday, which was attended and addressed by Minister for Health Dr.Najeeb Naqi, Secretary Health Maj.Gen. Khalid Hussain Asad, Director for emergency services Shifa International Hospital Islamabad Dr.Abdul Salam, whereas Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development Noreen Arif, Minister for Rehabilitation Nasir Dar, Additional Chief Secretary Farhat Ali Mir, Secretary Information, Tourism and IT Mansoor Qadir Dar, Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal and other prominent personalities and officials were also present on the occasion.
Terming it as a great achievement Khan said that at initial stage the free emergency service has been launched in 10 district hospitals of the region and gradually it would be extended to hospital at Tehsil level so that poor people of the region could be able to avail the benefits of the health scheme. He said that health department has created nearly 297 posts for this projects besides allocating 160 million (16 crore) rupees for the medicine. In order to provide better health care facilities to the masses the premier added that 280 staff nurses would be appointed in different hospitals and medical institutions of the region. He said that as compared to doctors there was less nursing staff in hospitals. He said emergency services in the hospitals have been setup where all life saving drugs will be available free of cost.
Khan said that education and health care were top priorities of the incumbent government. With a view to improve standard of education in the region he said “Less qualified teacher will be offered early retirement offer against golden handshakeâ€.
Khan who kicked off the “24 Hours Free Medical Emergency Services” in AJK by inaugurating the services at Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) said that the first phase of the provision of free medical facilities to the people of AJK was initiated in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. He said that free emergency medical service launched today “is gift for the masses under which the State would provide healthcare services to the patients round the clockâ€.
He said that 950 new posts have been created to meet the requirements of the staff in all public sector hospitals in AJK. Raja Farooq Haider said that despite limited resources the government has launched number of programs to improve healthcare services in AJK.
He said infrastructure of health department has upgraded and free emergency services has started in the State today saying that these services also started in other districts of AJK and these services would be expended to Tehsil level as well in future. He said government has signed an agreement with a pharmaceutical company to provide free treatment and medicines to patients suffering from Cancer a few months back. The Prime Minister further said that it was for the first time in the history of AJK that patients of blood cancer diseases are being provided free of cost medicines of international standard.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also accorded approval for the provision of new air ambulance for AJK and air ambulance service would be started in AJK soon. He said that 7 members of AJK Legislative Assembly from Muzaffarabad division have agreed to surrender Rs.2.5 million each from their allocated developmental budget for the CMH Muzaffarabad.