PESHAWAR, June 19: NWFP Auqaf Minister Maulana Amanullah Haqqani said on Saturday that a legislation for establishment of the Khyber Medical University will soon be passed by the provincial assembly.

Speaking on the occasion of inauguration of the Polasai Community Health Centre of the Khyber Medical College, he said the provincial cabinet had approved the bill but the Higher Education Commission had some reservations, which had been removed and now it was with the governor.

He said the provincial government was giving priority to the education and health sectors and allocations for the sectors had been increased manifold during the past two years.

Chairman of the strengthening community health project implementation committee Dr Abdul Hameed said community health could play an important role in the improvement of health care for mother and child.

He said health indicators in the country were very poor and around 25,000 mothers and 300,000 children died every year because of causes which could be prevented easily.

The project has been sponsored by the NWFP health department and the Canadian International Development Agency.

Dr Hameed said child mortality rate could be reduced through the effort.

He said the mother and child mortality rate in Sri Lanka and Iran was very low and it could be compared with the West. “In Bangladesh, health indicators have improved considerably,” he said.

He said the situation could be improved if innovative measures were adopted.

He said community health projects would be launched with the help of students of the Khyber Medical College.

“Graduates of the college will spend some time in basic health units and their training will be community oriented,” he said.

The college’s Principal Dr Fazal Ahmad said the centre would boost community health.