STAFF REPORT
PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Chief Minister on Health, Ihtisham Ali, chaired an important operational review meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department aimed at strengthening governance, ensuring accountability, and improving administrative efficiency across the health sector. The meeting was attended by Secretary Health Shahidullah Khan, Special Secretary Health Mansoor Arshad, Director General Health Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Director General Drugs Dr. Abbas, Director General PHSA Dr. Abdul Waheed, Chief Planning Officer, Additional Director Generals, and other senior officials of the department. During the session, the Advisor reviewed key operational challenges and issued several important directives. He ordered the condemnation of all nonfunctional vehicles within fifteen days, emphasizing the need to eliminate inefficiencies in departmental assets. In addition, he called for a detailed report within the same timeframe regarding officers holding dual or additional charges, instructing that clarity and accountability in assignments must be ensured. The Advisor expressed concern over the unauthorized use of official vehicles and directed that all such vehicles be recovered and reassigned only to authorized personnel. To promote transparency and improve oversight in public-facing offices, he also instructed the installation of CCTV cameras within fifteen days in all Medical Superintendents’ offices, District Health Offices, the Secretariat, and Directorates. This measure, he noted, would help monitor staff performance and reinforce accountability. Addressing the issue of merit-based appointments, Ihtisham Ali directed the notification of a Placement Committee to oversee all administrative postings such as those of MSs and DHOs. The committee will evaluate shortlisted candidates and make appointments strictly on merit, ensuring that no posting takes place without the committee’s formal recommendation. The meeting also focused on performance monitoring of health projects and programs. The Chief Planning Officer was instructed to convene regular monthly review meetings to assess progress and resolve implementation bottlenecks in a timely manner. Furthermore, the Advisor stressed the importance of effective datasharing among the Health Department, State Life Insurance Corporation, and the Social Health Protection Initiative. He directed that all necessary measures, including possible contract amendments, be taken to ensure the department has real-time access to essential data. Secretary Health Shahidullah Khan emphasized the urgent need to digitize the Human Resource records of all health cadres. He said this would allow better tracking of staff leave, vacancies, and deployment gaps, and enable timely decisions regarding temporary hiring and personnel management. Concluding the meeting, Advisor Ihtisham Ali reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to transparent, accountable, and people-centric health
