SWABI: The diabetic patients would get free insulin under “Insulin for Life” programme across the province in public sector hospitals, said Senior Provincial Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai.

Addressing a meeting at Bacha Khan Medical Complex Hospital Shahmansoor here on Monday, he said that the system was introduced to facilitate poor patients. “Now free insulin to diabetic patients will also be provided in Swabi district,” said the minister. The hospitals in Bannu, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Abbottabad, Lower Dir, Kohat, Haripur, Mansehra and Nowshera are already such services to patients.

Mr Tarakai said that provision of quality health services to people of the province in public sector hospitals was top priority of the government. He claimed that they had already taken numerous steps in that regard.

“We have promised to improve the existing system of healthcare in such a way that it really delivers according to the expectations of the people,” said the minister. He added that government would provide all the required facilities and modern equipment to the hospital.

Mr Tarakai alleged that rulers in the past focused only on erecting buildings instead of providing facilities to people.

Earlier, he was told that according to International Diabetes Federation, there were about 6.7 million people with diabetes in the country. “It is predicted that by 2035 the number of people with diabetes will be nearly 12.8 million,” the minister was told by experts.

The experts said that about 2.2 million people were suffering from diabetes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ARREST: Police claimed to have arrested a drug smuggler and recovered four kilograms of hashish from him.

They said that policemen stopped a car on Swabi-Jhanda Road and searched its various sections. They recovered four kilograms of hashish from the car and arrested the driver identified as Kashif Ali, a resident of Jamrud.

Meanwhile, police also claimed to have arrested four proclaimed offenders in the district. The arrested persons were identified as Sajid Khan, Alamgir Khan, Shah Hasar, and Javed Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016