Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed officials to expedite work on plans for establishing new hospitals in the province and ensure the timely release of funds for ongoing health sector projects on a priority basis.

A meeting chaired by the chief minister reviewed priority projects of the Health Department, including the upgradation of district headquarters hospitals, the establishment of new hospitals and plans to improve healthcare facilities.

During the briefing, officials said a project worth Rs33 billion was underway to upgrade 32 district headquarters hospitals across the province. The project includes improving hospital buildings, upgrading medical equipment, outsourcing services and expanding healthcare facilities.

Officials informed the meeting that medical equipment worth Rs2.5 billion had been provided to all 32 hospitals. Designs for the infrastructure of 29 hospitals had also been approved, and contractors had been mobilised to begin construction work.

The chief minister directed officials to provide detailed information about the scope and cost of work under the district headquarters hospitals' upgradation project within one week.

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The meeting was also briefed on progress towards establishing new hospitals. Officials said a summary had been submitted for acquiring land for a 1,000-bed medical complex in Kohat, while the land acquisition process was underway for a 1,000-bed hospital in Malakand following the identification of a suitable site.

Similarly, PC-II (Planning Commission-II) for establishing a general hospital at Benazir Ground in Peshawar had been prepared and sent to the Planning and Development Department for approval.

Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act had been imposed to acquire land for a women and children's hospital in Bara, while the project's PC-II had also been forwarded to the Planning and Development Department.

Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi said providing quality and timely healthcare to the public was the government's responsibility. He said the timely release of funds for ongoing health sector projects would be ensured under all circumstances, adding that a lack of resources would not be allowed to hinder improvements in government hospitals and basic health units.

He said the government was focusing on both healthcare reforms and the provision of modern medical facilities. Practical measures were underway to improve healthcare services in remote and underdeveloped areas and address shortages of doctors, nurses and other medical staff.

The chief minister said he was personally monitoring the utilisation of funds, quality of work and pace of progress on health projects.

He added that the government aimed to establish a healthcare system in which no citizen would have to travel long distances for treatment and everyone would have access to quality medical facilities.