Swabi: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Minister for Irrigation Aaqibullah Khan, and former Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Wednesday visited Swabi to inspect ongoing health infrastructure projects.

Accompanied by Special Secretary Health Habibullah, Chief Planning Officer Qaiser Alam, DG Health Dr. Shaukat Ali, Director Public Health Dr. Arshad Roghani, and other officials, the ministers visited the under-construction building of Women and Children Hospital in Swabi, District Head Quarter Hospital Swabi and Gajju Khan Medical College / Bacha Khan Medical Complex Swabi.

Dean/CEO, Hospital Director, Medical Director, and other management of the GKMC/BKMC-MTI Swabi welcomed the delegation.

During the briefing, Hospital Director (HD) Dr. Amjad Mahboob briefed the delegation about the hospital services. He stated that the hospital comprises 425 beds, and has introduced several new specialties started in recent years. These include Microbiology Lab, Vaccination Center, SSP, Biometric Attendance, HIV Family Care Center, and PMDT Center.

HD mentioned that the hospital is now recognized for training in 7 specialties for FCPS, including Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, ENT, and Ophthalmology. Additionally, the hospital has established a Fair Price Pharmacy with Emergency and OPD services to ensure patients receive quality medication.

Following the HD's briefing, the Dean/CEO Prof. Dr. Shams-Ur-Rehman elaborated on the purpose-built building of Gajju Khan Medical College. He explained that over 130 Kanal lands had been acquired, However, due to financial constraints, construction work had been halted for one and a half years. Dr. Shams-Ur-Rehman highlighted that since 2016, the college has been operational in a makeshift building. Despite this, the first two batches of the college achieved a 100 percent pass result in KMU annual exams, with over 30 students clearing FCPS part one, a notable accomplishment.

The Dean further mentioned the initiation of faculty development programs, registration with the World Directory of Medical Schools, establishment of a quality enhancement cell, and subscription to international journals. He also noted that all staff now adhere to biometric attendance, and a library for faculty and postgraduates has been set up.

Before the briefing, the delegation visited the medical and surgical emergency units, as well as the microbiology lab, and interacted with patients to inquire about the healthcare facilities provided.

The health minister commended the efforts of the MTI management in providing the best possible healthcare and medical education. He assured full cooperation and pledged to address issues on a priority basis.