PESHAWAR, March 17: NWFP health minister on Saturday said the government was trying to overcome the problem of ‘fake’ medical practitioners, who were jeopardising people’s lives.

The minister was addressing a seminar on health reforms, organised by a non-government organisation which was attended, among others, by NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah, medical students and government officials.

The minister said the provincial government was trying to improve public health facilities. “Education and health sectors are interlinked, and the media should create public awareness about the need for people to approach credible doctors for healthcare,” he remarked.

He said the NWFP government had increased annual health budget from Rs290 million to Rs2.17 billion. “Sixty-five per cent of the budget is being spent on primary healthcare, 24 per cent on secondary healthcare, and 11 per cent is being spent on urban hospitals,” he added.

The minister said the government had launched a project to upgrade 22 district headquarters hospitals in the province, adding: “Four hospitals have so far been upgraded, while 22 more hospitals would be standardised by June 30.”

The minister said rural health units and civil hospitals would also be set up, adding that the government had initiated work on eight projects to ensure provision of health facilities in various cities.

“These projects include the setting up of institutes for cardiology, haematology, chest diseases, child health and trauma reconstructive surgery units and a diagnostic centre with the assistance of the Baitul Maal in addition to a kidney centre.”

He said that the government had already approved staff for kidney centres, adding that a project for the development of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) was under way. He added that the government was spending tax money on the health sector.—PPI