PESHAWAR: Provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Policy 2026, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Occupational Safety and Health Rules, 2026, and amendments to the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, as well as the Provincial Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969, to revise and rationalize the Personalized Registration Mark (PRM) regime.
According to details, the 55th provincial cabinet meeting was held under chairmanship of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi.
The health policy envisions a healthier Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where every citizen enjoys equitable access to quality healthcare, contributing to healthier lives, resilient communities and shared prosperity.
Its mission is to build a resilient, people-centred health system through strong leadership, quality service delivery, sustainable financing, innovation, digital transformation, a skilled health workforce, evidence-based decision-making and strategic partnerships.
The policy focused on strengthening governance and accountability through enhanced regulatory oversight, a robust performance management framework, digital reporting and monitoring systems, and the strengthening of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission.
It prioritizes revitalizing primary healthcare by expanding Primary Health Care (PHC) services, upgrading Newborn Care facilities, strengthening the Lady Health Workers Programme, extending Sehat Card coverage to OPD services, and introducing school health services.
The policy also aims to improve secondary and tertiary healthcare through the establishment of ICU, CCU, trauma and burn centres, expansion of palliative care and telemedicine, outsourcing of poor performing health facilities, strengthening of Sehat Card Plus, inclusion of geriatric medicine for elderly patients, and reforms in Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs).
The policy emphasizes protecting families from catastrophic health expenditures, reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs, mobilizing domestic resources, and generating additional health financing through taxation.
It also prioritizes addressing shortages of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, digitizing the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), improving medical education, expanding continuous professional development and revamping allied health professional and nursing education.
Other key priorities include ensuring uninterrupted availability of essential medicines and vaccines through stronger procurement and supply chain systems, enhancing disease surveillance and emergency preparedness, strengthening compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR), and promoting a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach by addressing nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and climate resilience through cross-sectoral collaboration.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Occupational Safety and Health Rules, 2026 require employers to develop and implement workplace safety and health policies, ensure safe working environments, and adopt structured systems for identifying, assessing and controlling occupational hazards.
The framework introduces a hierarchy of control measures, including engineering controls and the mandatory provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), while requiring the appointment of Safety and Health Representatives in establishments employing 50 or more workers and qualified Safety and Health Officers in establishments with 100 or more workers.
The rules also mandate worker training, awareness and participation in occupational safety matters, establish requirements for emergency preparedness, first aid arrangements and medical surveillance, clearly define the responsibilities of employers, workers and other stakeholders through robust compliance and enforcement mechanisms, and provide for the establishment of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Occupational Safety and Health Council.
The Cabinet, he said, allowed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Crane Foundation to strengthen the conservation of crane populations and their habitats in the province.
He said the partnership is expected to enhance scientific research and promote evidence-based wildlife management, improve community livelihoods through conservation and eco-tourism initiatives, strengthen enforcement and inter-agency coordination to combat wildlife crime, and reinforce Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s position as a leader in biodiversity conservation.
The Minister said the Cabinet also approved the expansion of Sifwat Ghayur Shaheed Memorial Hospital (SGSMH) in Peshawar to enhance healthcare services and improve patient care. It further approved the transfer and allotment of state land at the Jamrud Complex for the establishment of an Excise Police Station in District Khyber.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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