Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has directed that the process of creating 700 new doctor positions for Basic Health Units be completed within one week. He emphasized that it is essential to strengthen health centers at the district and local levels so that people do not have to travel to major cities for treatment and can access better facilities locally.

On this occasion, the second phase (2.0) of the District Service Delivery initiative was formally launched. This phase includes 10 additional public service sectors, such as hospitals, colleges, water supply, sanitation, drainage, canal cleaning, government rest houses, tehsil offices, public service centers, and district beautification projects. Clear targets and timelines have been set for all these initiatives.

During the briefing, it was reported that in the first phase of District Service Delivery, overall performance reached 87 percent, the rate of resolving public issues increased by 20 percent, and 70 percent of complaints were addressed, while work on the remaining complaints is ongoing. The first phase included more than 1,100 facilities across 19 public service sectors in seven areas.

The briefing also revealed that a total of PKR 10 billion was released for the first phase, including PKR 4.4 billion for repair and maintenance and PKR 5.6 billion for development projects. All districts have submitted their beautification plans, while the creation of 700 doctor positions for basic and rural health centers is in its final stages.

In view of potential natural disasters, the Chief Minister directed the relevant departments to prepare advance emergency arrangements for floods and share them promptly with the district administrations.

He stated that while natural disasters cannot be prevented, better preparedness and timely action can significantly reduce losses. He also instructed the establishment of an effective emergency communication system at tourist sites and the activation of streetlights on major roads within two weeks.

These directives were issued by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi while presiding over the fifth District Service Delivery Conference under the Good Governance Roadmap. The conference conducted a detailed review of the performance of various departments, public service delivery, and the complaint redressal system.

The Chief Minister also ordered the priority appointment of wardens in Dar-ul-Amans, stating that the building of Swat Dar-ul-Aman should be completed soon, while separate plans should be prepared for permanent buildings for other Dar-ul-Amans. He emphasized that the protection of vulnerable groups and the provision of services to them remain the government’s top priority.