Peshawar – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet Supervisory Committee on Outsourced Hospitals met under the chairmanship of Advisor to Chief Minister for Health Ihtesham Ali to discuss the performance and management of outsourced hospitals.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Local Government Arshad Ayub, Minister for Agriculture Maj (R) Sajjad Barakwal, Special Secretary Budget and Development Habibullah, Director General Health Dr Saleem, Managing Director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation Dr Adnan Taj, and representatives from the Finance, Law, and Parliamentary Affairs Departments.
The committee was briefed on the current status of 19 outsourced hospitals across the province, including tribal districts, outstanding payments, and existing agreements. Concerns were raised about patients being referred to Peshawar hospitals despite the presence of specialists in outsourced facilities. The Minister for Agriculture emphasized the need for offering competitive salaries and benefits to healthcare staff in remote areas to address these issues.
The committee called for the immediate completion of the Health Foundation’s Board of Directors and the activation of the Search and Nomination Committee, with a January 15 deadline for finalizing the board. It also directed engagement with hospital-operating organizations to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services and timely payment of outstanding dues to Implementing Partners for the current quarter.
A detailed proposal for a one-window operation for outsourced hospitals is to be presented in the next meeting, scheduled for January 15, 2024.
