May 8, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1427

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PESHAWAR, May 7: A process of large-scale structural and functional restructuring has been under way in the health sector of the tribal areas and establishment of a medical college in the region is also under consideration.

According to a press release issued by Fata Secretariat on Sunday, paper work is in progress on establishing a health regulatory authority and a health foundation and launching of a safe drinking water supply project by the Federally Administered Tribal Areas health directorate.

Recruitment of medical specialists, doctors, nurses, lady health visitors and dispensers is under way to fill the vacant posts in Fata’s hospitals, basic health centres and other facilities.

Performance-based goals and targets had been assigned to all managers with a foolproof mechanism to monitor their work with a number of measures to ensure service-oriented health coverage across Fata with focus on far-flung areas, the secretariat said.

Under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation strengthening plan, the staff concerned was being given motorcycles for field work. The governor had started the process by distributing motorbikes among the staff at a ceremony.

Projects concerning hepatitis B and C, bird flu, polio, leishmaniasis and leprosy were being revised and re-activated, it said. International non-governmental organisations like Medicines Sans Frontiers of Holland, Healthnet International and Response International of the United Kingdom were involved in health promotion initiatives in the tribal belt, it said.

A complaint cell had been set up in the health directorate, it said, adding that other steps under the reform initiative included appointment of project director for Annual Development Programme schemes, monitoring officers and woman manager for tuberculosis, malaria and Aids control programmes.

Steps were also being taken for spreading awareness about Aids, malaria, polio, hepatitis and other diseases through print and electronic media with workshops and courses for paramedics and other staff working in the region, it said.