PESHAWAR, July 3: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said his government has allocated sufficient funds to provide health-care facilities to people.

Speaking as chief guest at the ground-breaking ceremony for the 150-bed Trauma Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Centre at the Hayatabad Medical Complex on Thursday, Mr Durrani said the project would be completed in three years at a cost of Rs555 million.

Financed by the NWFP Workers Welfare Board (WWB), the facility will be the first of its kind in the province. The chief minister said that besides labourers, who often suffered burn injuries in factories, other patients would also benefit from the burn centre.

He appreciated the WWB for providing their hard-earned money for the construction of the burn centre and held out the assurance that the government would spare no pains to safeguard their interests.

Mr Durrani said a piece of land measuring 40 kanals had been provided to the WWB free of cost to build the burn centre and offered that the government was ready to run it if the WWB agreed to the suggestion.

Health Minister Inayatullah Khan said the government was according priority to health and education sectors, because it believed that strengthening of these areas was prelude to development.

Mr Khan said that owing to the prevalence of hepatitis in the province, the government had allocated funds to establish an institution of hepatology to create awareness among people about preventive measures. The institution, he said, would investigate hepatitis cases and provide treatment to patients.

He said the government would launch an awareness campaign on July 21 in the province in which seminars, walks and workshops would be organized to inform people about tips to protect themselves against hepatitis. Free medical camps would also be held for three weeks, he added.

WWB chairman Arbab Shah Rukh said the board had set up 16 facilities to provide health-care facilities to workers, particularly a 25-bed hospital that had been established at Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate, Swabi, at a cost of Rs25 million.

He said six model schools had also been opened at a cost of Rs240 million.