31/07/2025
Peshawar: PMIU Project Director, Dr. Shehzad Faisal Conducts Detailed Inspections of DHQ Hospitals Across KP
Peshawar: Dr. Shehzad Faisal, Project Director of the Project Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU), carried out comprehensive inspections of various District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the months of June and July 2025.
The visits were undertaken on the directives of the Chief Secretary and Secretary Health KP to assess the existing infrastructure, availability of staff, and medical facilities — with a special focus on establishing Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) to improve healthcare delivery standards.
Hospitals visited during this inspection drive included DHQ hospitals in Landi Kotal, Batkhela, Charsadda, Karak, Upper Dir, Timergara, Mansehra, Bannu, Kohat, and the Molvi Amir Shah Memorial Hospital in Peshawar.
Priority was given to the evaluation of ICUs, NICUs, emergency departments, operating theatres, labour rooms, nursery units, waste management systems, security, hospital management information systems (HMIS), service delivery standards, and availability of medical equipment.
Detailed data regarding the physical condition of buildings, availability of staff, and equipment shortages was collected. Under the Secondary Healthcare Revamp Project, immediate digitization of all hospital records related to medicines, equipment, human resources, and financial transactions through the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) has also been planned.
The project aims to undertake comprehensive renovations of hospital buildings and address gaps in staffing and equipment. It also includes mechanisms to ensure efficient drug supply, helping to mitigate shortages.
The construction component of the project has been handed over to the C&W Department with the approval of the provincial cabinet. The department has already initiated the process of selecting a consulting firm for design and implementation.
The Project Director has submitted a comprehensive report on the status of DHQ hospitals and neonatal care units to the Advisor Health and Secretary Health. As per recommendations under the Secondary Healthcare Revamp Project, NICUs are proposed to be established in 10 DHQ hospitals across the province.
These NICUs will serve as a landmark initiative to reduce neonatal mortality by providing life-saving care to premature and medically challenged newborns. The units will be equipped with modern facilities and staffed with trained professionals to ensure free-of-cost neonatal intensive care.
It is hoped that this intervention will significantly reduce infant mortality in the province. Authorities have indicated that if the initiative yields promising results, it will be expanded to more districts in the future.
These efforts reflect the Health Department’s firm commitment to strengthening and modernizing public healthcare services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa