HARIPUR, March 29: To provide proper health facilities to the people the district government has decided to equip the hospitals with essential medicines, staff and equipment.

This was stated by the Haripur district Nazim Dr Raja Aamir Zaman in a meeting of the district health board here on Saturday.

The EDO health, Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital, Haripur, Dr Siddiqur Rehman and representatives of various NGOs also attended.

Presiding over the meeting, the district Nazim regretted that the state-owned hospitals in Haripur had remained almost neglected in the past, causing great deal problems to the patients.

He said that the district government, while taking stock of the patients’ difficulties, had decided to make Haripur a model district in matters of health.

He said, the 30 existing health facilities were being provided with necessary equipment, drugs and staff at an estimated cost of Rs185 million.

Dr Aamir informed the meeting that the construction work on the new DHQ had already been completed and it would become operational within a month.

About the shortage of staff at various BHUs and hospitals the district Nazim said that he was for autonomy so that the vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff could be filled on contractual basis.