PESHAWAR: The health department has decided to start procurement of medicines through a digitised system to put brakes on the misappropriation of funds and ensure availability of quality medication to patients visiting the public sector hospitals.

This was stated by adviser to chief minister on health Ihtisham Ali while speaking at a news conference here on Monday.

He said the move aimed to prevent major scandal like the one occurred during the caretaker government, and to safeguard public money, according to a press release.

He said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur would inaugurate the new mechanism.

Flanked by additional secretary health Fayaz Sherpao, director general health services Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan and others, Mr Ali said the medical superintendentsand district health officers would put their budgets and supply needs and the system would generate orders in accordance with the Medicine Coordination Committee (MCC)list.

He said the focus was on revitalising and operationalising the primary healthcare system. `A significant portion of the health budget is being spent on tertiary care due to the inefficiencies of the primary healthcare system, which serves 80-90pc of the population,` he added.

`We are fully committed to digitising the administrative and operational structure of the health department. Now postings and transfers will also be processed online with candidates applying through an online portal,` the CM`s aide on health said.

He said postings and transfers were not his responsibility and his role was to drive reforms, improve policymaking, and enhance governance within the health department.