Rs 1.30 billion being spent for setting up hospitals in quake-hit areas

Fully-equipped hospitals are being constructed in quake-hit Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh districts and Tehsil hospital in Kahota at a cost of Rs 1.30 billion by the global donor agencies. This was stated by AJK Health Minister Dr Najeeb Naqi while talking to newsmen after the handing over ceremony of an ambulance to Mirpur District Hospital here on Tuesday.
The ambulance given to Mirpur district hospital is one of the eight ambulances donated by Asian Development Bank to AJK Health Department. The Health minister said that the government was spending Rs 1.25 billion for uplift of health sector in AJK during the current fiscal year. He said that 98 percent of infra-structure of health was perished in October 2005 earthquake in northern AJK comprising five districts.
He said that after various international NGOs and donor countries took the responsibility to restore the health sector in quake hit zone, the AJK government diverted the funds allocated for uplift of health sector in Southern AJK comprising the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher. He said that from District level Hospitals to the rural and basic health centres in the remote areas of all these districts were being renovated and furnished with all possible latest equipment.
The minister said that Mirpur District hospital has been upgraded to the divisional hospital. He said that the government was seriously considering setting up grand burn centers in Mirpur and other districts of AJK.
He said that a separate emergency block was being constructed in local DHQ hospital. He said that in order to extend free health cover to working journalists, lawyers and other professionals, an insurance policy plan was being introduced by the government soon. The policy is being worked out to achieve the task, he said.