Peshawar - A high-level meeting on health development projects and ongoing schemes in Mardan held under the chairmanship of Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Ahtisham Ali.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Health Habibullah, Director General Health Dr Muhammad Saleem, Additional Director General Public Health Dr Shahid Younas, District Health Officer (DHO) and Medical Superintendent (MS) DHQ Mardan Dr Javed, DHO Peshawar, Dr Idress, MS THQ Gunjai Hospital, and other relevant officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Advisor to CM Ahtisham Ali emphasised, “I am not here to indulge in unnecessary meetings; we are here to work, not to make excuses. The health department is a public service delivery entity, and our primary objective is to provide relief to the people.”
During the meeting, it was decided that the Health Department would issue notification for BDS house job placements at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Mardan.
Furthermore, instructions were given to ensure availability of a laparoscopic machine for graduate students at DHQ Hospital Mardan. The authorities were also directed to expedite the ongoing construction work at Mardan District Hospital to complete it as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Advisor to KP Chief Minister on Health, Ahtisham Ali on Monday, formally assumed the charge of the Health Department.
A briefing session and an introductory meeting with the department’s staff were held on this occasion. The meeting was attended by Secretary Health Adeel Shah, Special Secretary Health Ghafoor Shah, Habibullah, Additional Secretary MTIs Muhammad Niaz, Deputy Secretary Drugs Ibrahim, Director General Health Dr Muhammad Saleem, Director General Drugs Dr Abbas, Additional Director General Shahid Younas, Chief Planning Officer Qaiser Alam, and other relevant officials.
During the meeting, Advisor Ahtisham Ali was given a comprehensive briefing on various administrative and operational matters of the health department. He was also briefed on the department’s attached formations, autonomous bodies, and other related affairs. Special attention was given to the Health Card program and other significant initiatives taken by the department.
In his address, Ahtisham Ali emphasised the urgent need to act swiftly, stating “We are in a health emergency today, and we must act immediately. We need to improve healthcare services in remote areas and ensure the availability of medical staff and equipment to make health centers fully functional.”
Ehtisham Ali also stressed the importance of anti-dengue sprays to control the spread of the virus. He directed the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) to regularly submit reports on staff attendance, the availability of facilities, the functionality of medical equipment, and other administrative matters. He also called for performance meetings based on these reports to improve healthcare delivery.
Ahtisham Ali issued directives to intensify anti-dengue operations, and instructed the relevant authorities to ensure spraying of anti-dengue medicines in hotspot areas without delay.
He emphasized that controlling the spread of dengue is one of his top priorities. “The dengue season is at its peak, and we must limit its spread through public cooperation,” he stated.
