PESHAWAR: The health directorate has outlined plans for the 12 designated districts including support for the ongoing process of outsourcing health facilities with enhanced monitoring to ensure that the residents of these areas get free diagnostic and medical services there.
Dr Fazal Rahman, the director of vector diseases and malaria control programme at the directorate-general of health services, has been nominated director health for eight tribal and four other districts, including Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank.
All 36 departments have submitted names of their representatives along with proposals for setting up directorates for designated districts. Currently, 15 of the total 19 outsourced health facilities under public-private partnership (PPP) programme in merged districts will continue to operate owing to their better performance.
Health Foundation (HF), a public sector entity, was established under the Public Private Partnership Act to facilitate operations of government-owned hospitals through private organisations fulfilling the desired criteria, such as experience in hospital management to enhance patient care and improve healthcare.
Official says enhanced monitoring to ensure residents of these areas get free diagnostic and medical services
Health Foundation had planned to outsource 28 more hospitals in designated districts under public-private partnership mode. In total, 43 health facilities in the designated districts are being outsourced. The work is in progress for outsourcing these hospitals.
Officials told this scribe that appointment notifications of directors were yet to be issued although the nominated persons had submitted their short and long-term measures to improve infrastructure. “These directors will report to additional the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” they added.
Dr Fazal, who also remained a member of the outsourcing oversight review committee, said that he knew about issues relating to the programme. He said that the issues would be resolved accordingly.
He said that the government had set up big infrastructure, which required constant oversight to benefit patients. “Funds have been promised that will enable us to ensure medical supplies and provide specialised services and save the people from going to other cities for treatment,” he said.
He said that according to the plan, priority was being given to outpatient departments (OPD) and accident and emergency department, wards and investigative outlets through the existing staff but outsourcing of hospitals was good so far.
Dr Fazal said that those were neglected districts but given the assurance regarding funds, all health facilities there could be made fully operational. “Our plan of solarisation is very important as electricity is mandatory for any hospital to keep operation theatre, laboratory etc open and patients end up with getting the desired treatment,” he said.
He said that electricity was the main obstacle in provision of healthcare to patients in the designated districts, especially in merged districts. “We have also given three and six months proposals to upgrade health services through immediate measures but a six-year plan has also been submitted according to which long-term actions will be needed after homework. However, presently our focus is on improving services,” he added.
He said that development of gynaecological and mother and child services was a priority area of the plan to give diagnostic and treatment facilities to people along with free medicines through short term measures spanning three months.
Dr Fazal said that local community would be involved in health affairs to improve patient care.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026
