KOHAT, July 19: Provincial Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has said that the government will create 16,000 posts, including 5,000 for nurses, in next three years under the national health programme to improve health care system in the NWFP.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of an eye ward in KDA divisional complex here on Wednesday, the minister said that the government had planned to upgrade the existing hospitals and set up 300 to 500 bed hospitals in all districts of the NWFP.

The existing hospitals would be modernised through provision of technical facilities, infrastructure improvement and human resource development at international standard.

He reiterated the commitment of his government to provide free of charge emergency health treatment and education to people.

He said the government had increased health allocations from Rs291 million in 2003-04 to Rs2.176 billion in 2006-07 and treatment of tuberculosis and polio had been extended to all the districts. Earlier the treatment was available only in seven hospitals.

Mr Khan said that eye treatment facilities would soon be provided in hospitals of Hangu, Mardan, Shangla and Lower Dir.

The minister said that the announcement of service structure for paramedics was the achievement of the MMA government. Under the new policy a grade 6 official could get promotion up to grade 20, which would serve as a major incentive and improve health care system, he added.

He announced that the OPD emergency fund would be released to Kohat hospitals from the current year. “The OPD emergency fund for the major hospital had already been increased from Rs50 million to Rs170 million,” he added.

He also approved the establishment of gynaecology section in the institute of medical sciences of the Kohat University of Science and Technology.