GILGIT: The new government in Gilgit-Baltistan has announced that special emphasis would be laid on state-run hospitals and the health sector in general, thus bringing immediate relief to the people of the region.
“Some minor but important steps are being taken to redress peoples’ grievances about health,” Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.
According to the spokesperson, shelter homes would be set up at every hospital to enable attendants to tend to their loved ones with ease.
Similarly welfare and management committees were being constituted at the hospitals to ensure the provision of medicine and procurement of quality equipment.
“The CM also wants active complaint cells to be set up to keep a check on hospital staffers and the overall situation of these facilities in the region,
while referring to the condition of government-owned medical facilities which were left in shambles during the tenure of the previous government. The outgoing Pakistan Peoples Party-led regime blamed a lack of funds for the state of affairs.
“Stopping the supply of substandard medicine and machinery to hospitals is at the top of the CM’s agenda. He wants to achieve this objective within the first 100 days of his tenure.”
Rehman, who is overseeing the health portfolio personally, has asked authorities to conduct a requirement assessment for the government hospital in Danyor-Oshikhand area and equip it immediately. The 30-bed medical facility has been reportedly short on medicine, machinery and specialist doctors for the last few years and has hence failed to serve the people.
Car rally
Rahman has also asked the tourism department to hold a car and motorbike rally in the scenic Deosai plains to attract visitors; a mainstay of the local economy.
“A polo tournament will also be held in the Rama Valley of Astore,” added the spokesperson.
