MUZAFFARABAD, April 5: AJK Minister for Health, Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan, on Friday said the government would increase the budget for the purchase of medicines to provide better health care facilities to the people.

He also indicated that the local purchase (LP) system for the treatment of the gazetted officers could be changed as a proposal to provide fixed medical allowance to them like that of the non-gazetted employees was under consideration.

The minister was speaking at the review meeting of the health department, which was attended by the secretary health Maj-Gen Feroze G. Agha, director-general health Dr Chaudhry Mohammad Akram, director Dr Mushtaq Gardezi, district health officers, medical superintendents, and other concerned officials.

The meeting, which at the outset reviewed the last year’s report, was told that the Rs60 million allocation to the health department for medicines was insufficient in view of the number of patients, as well as in the prices of drugs.

This allocation, the meeting was informed, had been unchanged since 1992, whereas, now the department required at least 110 million for medicines.

Pointing out that the government was also providing additional amount from the Zakat fund to the hospitals for the treatment of the poor.

Regarding the LP system, the minister said Rs21.5 million were being provided annually for the treatment of gazetted officers. But, he added, a new policy was under consideration, whereby, either this amount would be included in their salaries or allotted to their respective departments.

The meeting also reviewed the emergency situation declared in the wake of alleged outbreak of Congo virus in February and the minister appreciated the performance of the health department personnel in this regard. He directed them to pay special attention in providing health care facilities to the people living along the Line of Control.