60pc Chitralis to get prime minister’s health cards: MNA

Shahzada Iftikharuddin[/caption] “As you may have known by now that KPK Govt is not cooperating in the land provision for 250 bed hospital announced by the prime minister for which the PM Office had written a letter to KPK Govt back in Nov 2016, resulting in unnecessary delays in the progress of the hospital. I had requested Chairman Standing Committee on Planning Development & Reforms Mr. Abdul Majeed Khan Khanankhel to ask HEC to include cost of land in the PC-1 for the hospital to be fully financed by the federal government.” The standing committee has agreed and asked the HEC to now include cost of land in the PC-1 for the hospital that will be prepared starting next week meeting at HEC Islamabad which will also be participated by the MNA Chitral. Status of 250 bed state hospital in Chitral: During the 5th April 2017 Standing Committee Meeting on Planning Development & Reforms, the committee was apprised by Additional Secretary Mr Popalzai that the KPK Govt had not given any positive response to request by PM Office for land procurement for which PM Office had written to KPK Govt in Nov 2016. However, to overcome the challenge of land provision by KPK Govt, on request of MNA Chitral the Standing Committee on Planning Development & Reforms recommended inclusion of cost of land in PC-1 since KPK Govt had not been forthcoming in land provision in case of the two hospitals announced by PM in KPK, including the one in Chitral. Once made part of PC -1, the federal Govt will also pay for the cost of land & thus the hurdle will be overcome. The MNA is working with Chairman Standing Committee Office to include the recommendations in their official minutes so that PM Health Program also includes cost of land in the PC-1. The 250 Bed Hospital to be established in Chitral will be separate and nothing to do with that Health Cards expected to be provided to under PMs Health Card that will be distributed amongst 60% of the poor population of Chitral that fall within the PMT score of 0 to 32.5 The 250 bed hospital will have international standards and would be managed by a Health Management Company as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP), modalities of which are currently being worked out and each of the selected district’s model may slightly vary from the other. Each Hospital will have its own management headed by a CEO. HEC Agrees for preparation of university PC-1: Meeting of the HEC Committee to prepare PC -1 of University of Chitral will be held at Islamabad next week where officials of Khan Abdul Wali Khan University and SBBU Sheringal Chitral Campus will be invited. MNA will also participate and DG Planning HEC has agreed to the demand of MNA Chitral to make campus at Booni as part of the PC-1 as the KAWKU Mardan Chitral Campus and SBBU Sherigal Campus Chitral will be merged. The HEC Islamabad had written to KPK Higher Education Dept that in order move forward on PC-1 the KPK Govt had to procure land and issue charter. KPK Govt on its part had procured the land in 2016 at Saeedabad (Ispaghlasht) however granted charter and appointed Dr Bandshah Munir as Project Director. MNA had held at least 12 meetings with various Chairman HEC besides other HEC officials since 2013 regarding establishment of University of Chitral. As a way forward the Committee will meet in Islamabad where Shahzada Iftikhar will also participate to discuss the subjects and departments that Chitral needs such as Tourism & Hospitality Management Services, Mining & Mineral Development, Business Studies, Engineering subjects related to Hydro Power Sector, Trade given Chitral has been declared as an Alternate CPEC and Federal BOI has also included in its plans a Special Economic Zone at Gang (Chitral) besides many other subjects. On the important subject of Higher Education both the Federal and KPK Govt will be collaborating. Already KPK Govt has allocated Rs 30 crores for the University of Chitral and it is hoped a PC -1 will be prepared costing at least Rs 3 billion for which Federal Govt funding is being sought. Once prepared Fed Govt in its upcoming PSDP 2017 will include the project in the budget to be presented in June 2017. It is hoped that once materialized every capable Chitrali will have the opportunity of getting Masters degree at the University of Chitral.]]>