PESHAWAR, Feb 22: The provincial health department is setting up a model emergency care unit at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

Speaking at a meeting held here on Thursday, NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan said the government had allocated funds for the emergency ward and work on it would start soon.

The meeting discussed the issues of hospital’s autonomy, endowment fund, public-private partnership, health regulatory authority, Sarhad Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases, Burn and Trauma Unit and Female Paramedical Institute.

The meeting was told that the emergency unit at the hospital would be set up on the pattern of Accident and Emergency Unit of the Jinnah Hospital Lahore.

“The unit will be run by a project director and will have separate budget.”

“It will also have permanent casualty staff, including doctors and nurses, and specialist doctors will provide round-the-clock-services to patients.”

The meeting was told that the staff would be provided specific uniform. Authorities concerned were directed to submit SNEs for the newly-completed 10 category A and B district headquarters hospitals in the province to start them at the earliest.

A forum was formed on the occasion to review progress of projects being implemented by the health department.

The forum will focus on expediting work on certain projects and would meet fortnightly under the chairmanship the provincial health minister to review pace of work and take necessary decisions with regard to implementation process. The meeting was attended by the health secretary and other officials.