A newly upgraded emergency ward was inaugurated at the District Headquarters Hospital in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly North-West Frontier Province), on 16 September.
The 26-bed facility, which includes an operation theatre, resuscitation room, triage clinics and pharmacy, was renovated and set up by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of its efforts to strengthen health-care facilities in the province. Dr. Ataullah Khan, Deputy Chief Health System Reforms Unit, inaugurated the ward in a ceremony attended by officials of the health department and district headquarters hospital.
Appreciating the ICRC’s efforts, he said, “The upgraded facility will provide efficient health-care services to the people of Bajaur. Improving health care in the merged areas is a priority of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government and we are committed to providing the best facilities.”
Focused on developing the emergency wards at secondary-level health facilities in the merged areas, the ICRC is currently supporting emergency departments of four hospitals in KP. We are also supporting emergency services at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, which is the largest health facility in the province.
Emphasizing the ICRC’s efforts to help the most vulnerable populations in Pakistan, Farrukh Islomov, head of subdelegation in Peshawar, said, “We are committed to sharing our expertise in a coordinated manner with the authorities and partner organizations in Pakistan. We look forward to a meaningful collaboration with the KP Health Department to improve services and deliver a timely response.”
The ICRC’s health programme in Pakistan promotes an integrated approach so that vulnerable communities have access to a proper continuum of care, from emergency care to rehabilitation after physical recovery. We facilitate this by building the capacity of health-care professionals in KP and the merged areas.