KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed the revival of a program providing free medicines to underprivileged cancer patients along with its expansion to the entire province to ensure timely and free treatment for eligible people.
The directive came during a high-level meeting on the provincial annual development program for 2026-27, held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Peshawar. The session reviewed proposed new projects in the health, agriculture, youth affairs, sports and aid sectors.
Describing healthcare as a fundamental pillar of public welfare, the chief minister ordered immediate restart of the free medicine initiative for poor cancer patients and its extension to all districts of the province. He also directed officials to secure funds for early completion of the Khyber Institute of Child Health project and formally approach the federal government for resource mobilization.
To address the growing urban water needs, the meeting directed the formulation of comprehensive rainwater and floodwater harvesting plans to restore groundwater levels in major cities, with the aim of addressing water scarcity and maintaining ecological balance.
On agriculture, the prime minister called for a viable roadmap by the agriculture department to boost production of wheat and staple crops, emphasizing self-reliance. Key proposals included the provision of modern agricultural machinery to farmers, development of command areas for small dams, interest-free loans for agricultural graduates and scholarships for students.
Major health projects discussed included the Khan Institute of Organ Transplantation, establishment of a Health City and General Hospital in Peshawar, medical complexes in Malakand and Kohat, and breast cancer screening centers at five divisional headquarters. Proposals have also emerged for an oncology centre, a burn center and a kidney center in Mardan, as well as a clinical tower in Swabi.
