Advisor orders speedy work on kidney transplant centre
Advisor to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister on Health, Ehtesham Ali, has directed expedited work on the establishment of a kidney transplant center at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). The provincial government has already approved Rs500 million for the project, which is a top priority.
Initially, the center will focus on kidney transplants, with plans to expand services to include bone marrow and liver transplants in the future. Ali emphasized that patients from K-P currently travel to other cities for transplants, incurring significant financial burdens. However, once operational, the facility will offer free transplants under the Sehat Card program, providing immense relief to the people of the province.
During a surprise visit to KTH, Ali inspected several departments, accompanied by Director General Health Services Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Additional Director General Public Health Dr. Shahid Younas, and Chief Executive of Sehat Card, Dr. Riaz Tanoli.
At the Sehat Card Pharmacy, he reviewed the medicine distribution process and personally inspected the pharmacy store, ensuring the availability of high-quality, multinational-brand medicines. He praised the hospital administration for maintaining a high standard of healthcare services and medicine supply.
Ali also received a briefing on Total Lab Automation, a cutting-edge step toward modernizing diagnostic services at KTH. He recommended setting up collection points in other districts to extend these state-of-the-art services across the province.
At the Cath Lab, the health advisor instructed Sehat Card authorities to activate cardiac treatment facilities under the Sehat Card scheme as soon as possible, ensuring top-tier cardiac care for patients.
During his visit to the Pakhtunkhwa Transplant Center, Ali was briefed by KTH Director Dr. Muhammad Zafar Afridi on the project's progress. It was revealed that the Board of Governors (BoG) had discussed the transplant center's establishment in a meeting on February 20, 2025, and the official minutes would be released soon.
Ali assured that once the meeting minutes are finalized, further action will be taken immediately. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to providing modern, high-quality healthcare services and pledged that international standards of medical care would be maintained at KTH.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
10 health officials face dismissal over graft
An inquiry into alleged irregularities in the procurement of medicines during the caretaker government's tenure in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Health Department has been completed. Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has issued show-cause notices to 10 senior officials under the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 2011, accusing them of incompetence, mismanagement, and corruption. Each of the accused officials faces dismissal from service and recovery of over Rs170 million individually. According to the official notice, the investigation against these officials — including a former Director General of Health Services, an Additional Director General, a former Director of Public Health.
Express Tribune
02-06-2025
- Express Tribune
'Nursing hospitals not meeting standards'
A parliamentary panel was told on Monday that fifteen medical colleges were registered without any inspection during the PTI's rule while none of the 55 nursing colleges recently visited by the health secretary were eligible for accreditation. Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health that 55 nursing colleges were recently visited. "According to the report [submitted by the health secretary], not a single college was found eligible for accreditation. A detailed report is being prepared by the Pakistan Nursing Council," he added. During the committee meeting, chaired by Mahesh Malani, Abdul Qadir Patel authorized Dr Shazia Sobia to discuss the Pharmacy Bill on his behalf. Patel said as soon as the PPP came into power, it transferred the authority related to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to the provinces so they could conduct their own tests. "However, the provinces were not prepared at the time, which is why tests could not be conducted immediately. We want the provinces to carry out their own enlistments," he said. The committee chairman referred to the complaints from students of Al-Nafees Medical College regarding non-registration. Dr Bharath reiterated that 15 medical colleges were registered during the PTI's term without inspection, and their cases have been sent to the Federal Investigation Agency. The executive director of the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) told the panel that the institute had now started surgeries for correcting clubfoot in children. "NIRM has a medical budget of Rs40 million, which is very low. Due to this, patients often have to purchase medicines. However, we ensure that epilepsy medications are never out of stock," he said. The committee expressed concerns over the inadequate medicine budget and emphasized that it should be increased. It announced plans to visit the institute and make recommendations to the government. In Punjab, medicines are provided free of charge through the health cards system but even poor patients in some areas are forced to purchase them. It was suggested that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal should be used to provide medicines to deserving patients. RAYZA KHAN
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Lady health workers end protest after deal
Following successful negotiations with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, Lady Health Workers have officially ended their protest sit-in outside the K-PAssembly. Ishrat Malik, Central General Secretary of the Shaheen Union of Lady Health Workers, announced that Provincial Health Minister Ehtesham Ali took immediate notice of the protest — held during an intense heatwave - and initiated formal talks with union representatives. The LHW delegation included Akhtar Bibi (Provincial President), Ishrat Malik (General Secretary), Rafasat Qamar, Naeema Bibi, and other union officials. During the meeting, the Health Minister assured that the official minutes would be shared within two days. He also confirmed that the Health Department had finalized a promotion and regularization plan for 12,439 LHWs, structured under a four-year framework and now ready to be submitted to relevant departments. According to the plan, promotions will be granted from scale 5 up to scale 14 based on seniority and a percentage-based formula. Under this framework, 40 percent of the workers will be promoted to scale 9, another 30 percent to scale 9 under a separate criterion, 20 percent to scale 12, and the remaining 10 percent to scale 14. The Minister further assured that a summary of the plan would be sent to the Finance Department within days. He praised the critical role played by LHWs in providing healthcare in remote, conflict-affected, and snow-bound areas, emphasizing that public health operations would be unmanageable without their commitment and sacrifice. In view of the government's assurances and considering the harsh conditions faced by the protestors, Minister Ali urged the LHWs to end their sit-in and return home. Responding positively, the Shaheen Union officially called off the two-day protest and expressed appreciation for the government's responsiveness. Ishrat Malik also extended her gratitude to the media for their extensive coverage and support, which she said played a key role in drawing attention to the LHWs' demands and accelerating the negotiation process.
