PESHAWAR, Sept 22: The government has completed the spadework for establishing a medical university in the province and it will table the Khyber medical university charter in the next session of the provincial assembly for a final debate.

This was stated by Senior Provincial Minister Sirajul Haq while addressing a seminar organized by the Abaseen Foundation in collaboration with Unicef here on Thursday.

The minister said the Khyber medical university charter had already been approved by the NWFP governor.

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government was committed to improving the quality of education and healthcare system in the province and added that the establishment of a medical university would be an important step in this direction.

He said the government was paying attention to health and education sectors with an aim to improving the standard of living of average citizens.

He said free books were offered to school students. Similarly, he added, medicines had been provided to 1.3 million patients, including 300,000 women.

Unicef representative Osama Makkawi said the organization had been cooperating with the government in various areas, including primary education, water, sanitation, environment and child protection.

He said Unicef was providing technical and financial support to the government in projects for children’s immunization and survival and development schemes.

About woman health, he said they were providing equipment for labour room and blood bank as well as imparting skill development training to male and female technicians at the community level.