PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has declared a province-wide “Nursing Emergency” to address the growing shortage of trained nurses, directing the immediate filling of all vacant posts through ETEA.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister while chairing a review meeting of the Health Department in which he also instructed the department to issue a fresh communication to the Nursing Council for the clearance of 650 trained nursing slots that remain pending.
The meeting reviewed staffing gaps, service delivery constraints and the status of ongoing reforms across major health facilities. The Chief Minister underscored the need for rapid action, stronger oversight and bold administrative measures to address immediate challenges, strengthen service delivery and ensure that healthcare reforms translate into public benefit across the province.
Stressing the importance of adequate staffing at health facilities, he ordered early completion of the recruitment process for doctors and specialists making sure that merit and transparency are upheld at all costs.
The Chief Minister further directed for strong and proactive measures to curb polio, dengue and malaria, emphasizing strict implementation of the Dengue Action Plan.
He ordered that procurement process of medicines and medical equipment must begin from January 1 and made it clear that no delays would be tolerated in this critical process. Reaffirming the government’s commitment to institutional strengthening, he directed that the Healthcare Commission be strengthened through pragmatic steps.
Highlighting the growing pressure on Peshawar’s tertiary care hospitals, he instructed the Health Department to examine proposals for establishing new multi bed hospitals in Peshawar, Kohat and Malakand and to present workable proposals in this regard. He stressed that rising population demand swift, practical and realistic strategies to ensure sustained service delivery.
The Chief Minister also reviewed progress on the Khyber Institute of Child Health and instructed that the pace of work be expedited to ensure early completion and operationalisation.
He directed issuance of notices to those responsible for delay and called for weekly progress reports. He added that the health sector is the government’s foremost priority and assured that financial constraints will not be allowed to obstruct improvements in healthcare.
During the briefing, the meeting was informed that 182 projects have been included in the current Annual Development Programme, of which 76 are nearing completion. Progress continues on nine flagship initiatives, including the establishment of a Burn Centre in Dera Ismail Khan, new Cath labs in the hospitals on need basis, the establishment of the Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences, reconstruction of Liaquat Memorial Teaching Hospital Kohat and the standardization of DHQ Hospital Mardan.
The forum was further briefed on significant advancement in 51 high priority projects, such as revamping of health facilities and establishment of Paraplegic Centre in merged areas, upgradation of the Accident and Emergency Unit and ICU at Hayatabad Medical Complex, the establishment of a Nursing College in Upper Chitral, rehabilitation of health centres across the province and strengthening of the EPI programme.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025