Azad Kashmir Govt nears finalization of historic health package

ISLAMABAD: (Rizwan Abbasi) – The Azad Kashmir government has shown a commitment to providing quality healthcare services to the public, with its historic health package now in the final stages. The government of Azad Kashmir has completed all necessary preparations for this initiative. Under the proposed health package, new medical institutions will be established, existing healthcare facilities will be upgraded, and 1,209 new positions will be created. This project will incur an annual expense exceeding 840 million rupees, for which financial approval has also been secured.

The health package includes the creation of 65 new positions for specialist doctors at Grade 18 to address the shortage of specialists. Additionally, posts for Medical Superintendents and Senior Medical Officers have been included to improve the administrative and medical services in hospitals. Furthermore, 102 positions for Medical Officers and 8 for Dental Surgeons at Grade 17 are part of this package. To ensure the provision of quality healthcare services to the public, positions for Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, and Drug Inspectors are also included. An IT Manager position has been created to promote digital systems. To address the shortage of nursing staff, 31 new nursing positions have been allocated.

Moreover, a total of 52 healthcare facilities across Azad Kashmir will be upgraded to meet modern standards, significantly enhancing healthcare services and enabling timely medical assistance for the public. This health package will pave new paths for development in the healthcare sector in Azad Kashmir and marks an important step towards providing quality healthcare services to the people.