PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said his party’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was according top priority to the development of health sector for better patient care.

“The health department will ensure provision of free emergency services to the critically-ill and injured patients at government hospitals in the province,” he said while speaking during a ceremony marking inauguration of the free emergency treatment service at the Lady Reading Hospital on Wednesday.

Mr Imran said Rs1 billion had been allocated to provide free services to the patients requiring urgent treatment as part of the PTI’s agenda of bringing about the change.

“We have begun several reforms in health, education and other social sectors to trickle down benefits of government’s measures to the people at the grassroots level,” he said.

The PTI chairman said the change had come as during the past three month, there had been no charge of corruption against any of the government’s members, an example for other provinces to follow.

He said the people of the entire country were looking towards the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was well on its way to achieving the objectives laid down in the party’s manifesto.

“Other political parties had ruled the province turn by turn but failed to do any better for the people. We are making drastic changes in the system to provide relief to the people during our first turn at the helms of affairs,” he said.

Mr Imran said Rs3billion was being spent on the treatment of patients at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre every year.

He said around 75 per patients received free treatment at the hospital with the financial assistance donated by the people.

“We wish that we provide free and quality treatment to the patients at all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hospitals on the pattern of SCMT and RC and the day is not far off when the local residents will see marked difference in the diagnostic and treatment services,” he said.

He said the PTI government was giving autonomy to hospitals in the province and they would be independently run from government’s control.

The PTI chairman said the plan to give financial and administrative autonomy to the hospitals was meant to provide effective services to the people, who visited the government hospitals.

He said the PTI government was introducing a local government system where the problems of the people would be resolved at union council level.

“The system seeks to empower the people and keep strict check on the elected representatives,” he said.

Mr Imran said the local government system to be introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be a role model for other provinces and that it would make police accountable to the people.

He said cameras were being installed at police stations to monitor their performance, while the new accountability law would end corruption in the province.

The PTI chairman said nobody involved in embezzlement of money would be spared by the provincial government.

He appreciated the provincial ministers for not taking protocols and said it was an indication how members of PTI was doing away with VIP culture.

Later, Mr Imran was briefed at the Frontier House by provincial Chief Minister Pervez Khattak regarding plans to start ferry services in Dera Ismail Khan, Nowshera and Kund for local population.

He was also informed about the steps being taken to provide clean environment to the residents of the province.

The chief minister said the government was acquiring 40 kanals of land in every tehsil to construct modern sports stadium.

Mr Imran said in mountainous and hilly areas, every effort should be made to ensure construction of sports facilities.

He expressed pleasure over the government’s plan to build new cities in the province and said it would not only provide better residential facilities to the people but would also reduce the scale of massive urbanisation, which have overburdened the existing cities and towns.