April 30, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1428

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PESHAWAR, April 29: NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has said the existing health system cannot address the complex problems facing the sector. It is time that the system is reformed in order for it to deal effectively with the mounting burden of diseases.

The minister said this while addressing a farewell party arranged in honour of the out-going professors of the Khyber Medical College (KMC) on Sunday. He said the health sector was a complicated one and its problems were also complex.

The minister underlined the need for bringing about a positive change in what he called outdated and obsolete concepts about the sector. “Instead of developing big hospitals, providing doctors and medicines, there should be a pyramid shift to focus on promoting healthy behaviour,” he said.

Mr Khan said that it was high time to change the direction of the entire health system and fix new priorities. He also underlined the need for innovations in the area.

“Instead of fearing innovation, we should welcome it whole-heartedly,” he said.

The minister said that apart from upgradation of DHQ hospitals, searching out for alternatives of the present financial mechanism, innovations in management system and improving health care delivery system had been focused in the past four years.

Appreciating the contribution of the Khyber Medical College, the health minister said that the KMC was a prestigious professional institution whose graduates had rendered great services to the humanity within the country and abroad.

The minister declared that development of the Khyber Medical University was one of the top priorities of the provincial government and that was why it would try its best to meet all requirements of the institution.

He asked authorities of the university to play a dynamic and leading role in reforming the health sector.

"The role of the university must be different from traditional institutions in this regard," he said.

In response to a demand presented on the occasion, the minister said that a plan for the construction of a mosque and a library would also be included in the next annual development programme. Similarly, he promised funds for renovating the guest house of the KMC.

The ceremony was also addressed by Vice Chancellor of the Khyber Medical University, Prof Mohammad Daud Khan, and KMC Principal Prof Fazal Ahmad.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Daud Khan said that soon the university would emerge as one of the best institutions of the country.

"The university will have impact on academics, cure and research," he said. The vice chancellor vowed that the university would come up to expectations of students and researchers in the time to come.

In his address, Prof Fazal Ahmad demanded incentives for the academic staff also appealed for provision of transport facilities for the institution and establishment of a colony for the staff.

The minister, on this occasion, gave away shields to outgoing professors of KMC.

Those who received the shields included Prof Mumtaz Ahmad, Prof Umer Ali Khan, Prof Abdul Wadud, Prof Saeeda Majeed, Prof Ehteshamul Haq,

Prof Rafiullah, Prof Nargas Jamil, Prof Waqar Afridi and Prof Mohammad Saeed.