CHITRAL: Director General Health KP Dr Muhammad Irshad Khan on Friday said he would soon issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the appointment of doctors and paramedical staff at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Chitral in order to resolve the issue of human resource shortage.
The DG stated this during a meeting with doctors and other staff in the office of hospital medical superintendent (MS) Dr Faizul Mulk Jillani.
For years, the DHQ hospital has been short of doctors, especially specialists in a number of fields.
The DG said he would be visiting all the basic health units (BHUs) in Chitral in order to know the healthcare issues and get them resolved.
He said the government was introducing a modern system under which healthcare issues in backward areas such as Chitral would be resolved on a priority basis.
The health department under a project has decided to provide state-of-the-art ambulances to a number of districts, including Chitral, he said. Each of these ambulances would have a doctor and equipment to provide treatment to patients in remote areas.
Dr Khan said under another programme of the government, the MS of DHQ hospitals would be empowered to utilize 20 per cent of the revenue generated by the hospitals on renovation/repair and other work on their premises.
He also said work on a plan to check the rising trend of suicide in Chitral would begin soon.
The MS of the hospital and District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Haiderul Mulk demanded immediate steps to provide MRI, CT scan machines and other equipment at the DHQ hospital and renovation and rehabilitation of hospitals in remote areas of Chitral.
District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) Chairman Wazirzada MPA said Chitral had been bifurcated into two districts and funds should be provided on equal basis so that healthcare facilities could be provided to the residents.
Reporting: Syed Nazir Hussain Shah