PESHAWAR, Nov 23: To overcome the current shortage of female technicians in government-run hospitals, NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has ordered preparation of a plan for the establishment of a separate paramedical institute for women in the province.

The minister issued the directive at a meeting held here on Thursday to devise a strategy for the distribution of Rs100 million grant-in-aid among charity health institutions of the province and recruitment of female medical technicians to public sector hospitals.

Secretary Health Abdul Samad Khan, Director General Health Services Dr Jalilur Rehman, Director Health Foundation Dr Humayun Zafar, Prof Najibul Haq, Dr Mohammed Iqbal Khalil and other officials of the health department attended the meeting.

The meeting formed a committee, headed by the director general health, to devise a transparent strategy for the disbursement of the grant-in-aid. The committee was directed to identify deserving health institutions and submit its reports by December 10.

The meeting also discussed recruitment of 7,000 female medical technicians in various hospitals of the province. It decided to establish a separate female paramedical institute in the province. The planning cell of the health department was directed to include the plan in the next annual development programme.Likewise, health authorities were asked to reserve more seats for female candidates in public and private sector paramedical institutes of the province. Directives were also issued to provide scholarships to female candidates admitted to training institutes.

The meeting also deliberated over devising a proper plan for providing free food facility to the patients at Lady Reading Hospital or Khyber Teaching Hospital. Prof Najibul Haq was assigned the task of chalking out an efficient strategy in this regard.