PESHAWAR, April 23: The provincial health department is planning to provide free specialized emergency treatment to critically ill patients at public sector hospitals.

Sources in the health department told Dawn on Wednesday that as a first step free treatment at the casualty department of the Lady Reading Hospital would begin from July 1.

An official working on the plan said that efforts were underway to assess the cost of free medicines and also to devise a strategy that the drugs would only be used by patients in dire need.

He said that plans were also being devised to discourage non- emergency patients from visiting the emergency wards to avoid extra load on the staff.

The official said that a permanent cadre for the emergency staff would be developed with more chances of promotion and additional incentives.

Presently, the doctors, nurses and paramedics were working on rotational basis and there was no permanent staff for the emergency wards, which was creating problems for the patients. For instance, a casualty medical officer could not deal with children, obstetrics, cardiac, orthopaedic and ENT problems, due to lack of proper training.

According to the official special training would be imparted to the staff with the help of donors. The Department for International Development had promised to impart training to the personnel, apart from the Germany-based NGO, GTZ, the official said.

He said that a local hospital had also pledged to impart training to the doctors in UK. Not only trained staff, but equipment would be provided to the emergency wards of the DHQs, he added.