PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned Rs7.8 billion for upgradation of the district hospitals with focus on improving primary healthcare at the grassroots level.

The amount will go to the repair and maintenance work in 14 district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) and purchase of equipments, recruitment of 1,083 nurses besides creation of posts of medical officers to ensure effective primary healthcare to people.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

The meeting also approved primary healthcare management committees and hospital management boards for district and rural hospitals.

Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, secretarles of law, finance, and health, excise and taxation, administration departments and director general health services were in attendance.

The meeting discussed progress on the CM`s directives about repair, maintenance and renovation at the district hospitals, provision of missing facilities, and recruitment of nurses, financial incentives and creation of posts for doctors and establishment of committees for medical training institutes.

Mr Khattak directed the finance department to work out the proposal submitted by the health department regarding grant of special financial incentives for doctors which will cost an estimated amount of Rs3.3 billion annually.

He asked the health department to make available all financial resources for giving the health facilities entirely a new look in terms of services, facilities, accommodation and renovation.

He said the revised healthcare standards must be enforced in letter and spirit to ensure availability of doctors and other staff in the hospitals both in morning and evening shif ts.

Reiterating his resolve for providing required number of doctors in every public sector healthcare facility, Mr Khattak approved creation of additional posts of medical officers and also directed the health department to take strict measures for pursuing promotion cases of doctors. He said those who were not willing to get promotion should be dealt with under the rules.

Terming the salary of medical officers too meager compared to the open job market, the chief minister announced that the provincial government was ready to grant two to three times increase in salaries of doctors willing to serve in the remote and economically backward districts.

Expressing concern over leave vacancies which caused shortage of doctors, Mr Khattak ordered that in future no doctor should be allowed to proceed on leave until hiring of his substitute against the leave vacancy was finalised.

The meeting also reviewed the progress the Postgraduate Medical Institute and constituted a four-member committee to look into the issue and make recommendations about the institute within four days.

It also discussed the doctors` reaction against the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Law, 2015 and stressed the need for removal of the misunderstandings of the stakeholders on the issue.