QUETTA: Marking Universal Health Coverage Day, Balochistan’s Provincial Health Minister, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, declared that providing equitable health facilities to every citizen is a “collective responsibility” and outlined a series of ongoing “serious and decisive” reforms to transform the province’s neglected healthcare system.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Minister Kakar credited the vision and leadership of Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti for driving fundamental changes aimed at delivering reliable, quality treatment to the public. “The health sector has been neglected for many decades, but today, for the first time in Balochistan, the process of strengthening the health system on modern lines is becoming a reality,” Kakar asserted.
Detailing the government’s multipronged strategy, the Health Minister highlighted efforts to activate basic and district health centers across the province. Key initiatives include the upgrading of laboratories and emergency units, and a focused drive to ensure the availability of medical staff in remote and underserved areas.
Kakar emphasized that the reforms extend beyond infrastructure. He pointed to new legislation, a robust monitoring system, enhanced transparency, and the adoption of modern technology as pillars that have already “significantly improved the performance of the public health sector.” Provincial programs for maternal and child health, vaccination, nutrition, and emergency services are also being expanded to protect vulnerable populations.
The minister stated that the government’s focus is holistic, targeting not just treatment but also disease prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The ultimate goal, he said, is to establish a sustainable system that provides “easy, effective, respectable, and affordable treatment to every citizen.”
Expressing strong determination, Bakht Muhammad Kakar concluded that the Health Department would intensify its efforts to make universal health coverage a tangible reality, promising that “quality health facilities will be provided to the people of Balochistan at their doorstep.”
Meanwhile a spate of tragic road accidents across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the weekend claimed at least six lives, highlighting dangers ranging from driver fatigue to adverse weather conditions.
