LAKKI MARWAT/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Provincial health minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra has said the government will spend Rs600 million on upgradation of the District Headquarters Hospital, Lakki Marwat, providing it with the standard healthcare facilities.

During a visit to the DHQ hospital and the basic health unit in Shahbazkhel area on Wednesday, the minister said the upgradation of the major health facility in Lakki would enable people to avail quality treatment at their doorstep.

The minister ordered removal of the medical superintendent of the DHQ hospital over public complaints regarding poor facilities at the facility.

Mr Jhagra also visited the District Headquarters Complex, Tajazai, and inspected the Rescue 1122 station and repair and rehabilitation work on government buildings.

He said the Sehat Insaf Card programme had enabled the people of remote districts to get quality healthcare free of cost. He said treatment of more diseases would be covered by the programme.

Earlier in the day, the health minister addressed a press conference in Dera Ismail Khan and said every citizen of the province could avail treatment facilities worth Rs1 million under the Sehat Insaf Card scheme.

Federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur was also present at the presser.

Mr Jhagra said during the last six months from February to August, 300,000 citizens had availed free health services.

He said hospitals in South Waziristan, Tank and Dera districts were being upgraded to provide better healthcare to patients.

He said the provincial government had so far recruited 200 doctors and 50 nurses in Dera hospitals, while a grant of Rs60 million had been sanctioned for provision of facilities in the basic health units across the division.

The provincial minister said a Type-D hospital had been opened in the merged area of Darazinda. He said health services were being provided to people across the province without any discrimination under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2021