PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has reaffirmed that the health and education sectors remain the foremost priorities of the provincial government, underscoring their direct impact on public welfare and human development outcomes.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the three-day 2nd International Conference 2026 organized by Khyber College of Dentistry, he announced the establishment of a dedicated Basic Sciences block and a hostel facility for house officers at the institution.
He emphasized that the government is undertaking structured and forward-looking interventions to align medical education standards with evolving global benchmarks.The chief minister said that sustained investments are being directed towards strengthening both health and education systems as foundational pillars of inclusive development.
He noted that comprehensive, multi-dimensional reforms are underway to modernize healthcare delivery systems across the province, with tangible improvements expected in the near term.
The chief minister said that the revamping of District Headquarters Hospitals has already commenced, with plans to extend similar reforms to Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centres in the next phase.
“These interventions are designed to rationalize patient flow, reduce pressure on tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, and significantly lower referral burdens”, he said.On human resource development, the chief minister stated that recruitment of 2,400 doctors is in progress, including 250 dental surgeons, while 27 dental specialists have already been inducted. He reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing workforce gaps in the health sector on a priority basis.
Additionally, he announced that stipends for house officers will be enhanced in the upcoming fiscal budget to incentivize and retain young medical professionals.Expressing concern over delays in the Khyber Institute of Child Health (KICH) Hospital Project, the chief minister stated that the project has been delayed due to the federal government’s failure to release the required funds, describing it as discriminatory treatment. He stated that the issue has been formally communicated to the federal authorities and, in the absence of timely fund releases, the provincial government will proceed with bridge financing to ensure project completion. The chief minister noted that over the past 13 years, the provincial health budget has increased from Rs30 billion to Rs275 billion, reflecting a sustained policy commitment to strengthening the sector.
During his address, he expressed concern over the health condition of the party founder Imran Khan and called for immediate access to treatment under the supervision of his personal physicians at a well-equipped medical facility, as it is a fundamental right.Later, the chief minister visited the dental exhibition held at the venue.
