Dera ismail khan – Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Upper South Waziristan, Asif Mehsud, called on the Advisor to the Chief Minister on Health, Ehtisham Ali, and discussed various issues pertaining to the health sector in the area.
The meeting was also attended by Health Secretary Adeel Shah, Director General Health Dr. Muhammad Saleem, and District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Tufail from Upper South Waziristan. MPA Asif Mehsud highlighted the major issues of the area, stating that since the district’s formation, there had been a lack of adequate medical staff and an absence of an established health administrative structure at the district level. Additionally, restoring and reactivating the destroyed and non-functional health centers was also a major challenge, he added.
Health Advisor Ehtisham Ali assured the MPA that immediate action would be taken to address the health concerns in Upper South Waziristan. He stressed that resolving health issues in remote areas was key to the overall development of the health department. He further said that it was among his top priorities to strengthen and activate the administrative framework for health services in Upper South Waziristan.
MPA Asif Mahsud pointed out that despite the district status, there was no District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in the area. The provincial advisor promised to upgrade the existing health center to a Category A hospital.
Moreover, they also discussed the dismissal of absent medical staff, deployment of surveillance teams for disease control, expansion of the Sehat Card program, establishment of TB and Hepatitis control centers, and the operation of Primary Care Management Committees in the district. He added that these committees would help address the hospitals’ needs more effectively.
MPA Asif Mehsud also raised the urgent need for funds for medicine procurement, restoration and activation of destroyed health centers, recruitment of medical staff, and provision of clean drinking water in hospitals. The discussion also covered budget allocation and release for under-construction hospitals, with 70 percent of construction already completed.
They agreed that absent medical staff should be dismissed promptly, and immediate recruitment was needed to ensure the functionality of health centers.
Health Advisor Ehtisham Ali assured MPA Asif Mehsud that all necessary measures would be taken to resolve these issues swiftly and effectively.
