KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed the revival of a program that provides free medicine to underprivileged cancer patients, along with its expansion across the province to ensure timely and free treatment for eligible individuals.
The directive came during a high-level meeting on the province’s annual development program for 2026-27, which was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Peshawar. The session reviewed proposed new projects in health, agriculture, youth affairs, sports and relief sectors.
Describing healthcare as a fundamental pillar of public welfare, the chief minister ordered an immediate restart of the free medicine initiative for poor cancer patients and its expansion across all districts of the province. He also directed officials to secure funds for the early completion of the Khyber Institute of Child Health project and formally approach the federal government for resource mobilization.
To meet growing urban water needs, the meeting directed the formulation of comprehensive stormwater and flood management plans to restore the water table in major cities with the aim of tackling water scarcity and maintaining ecological balance.
On agriculture, the chief minister called for a viable roadmap from the agriculture department to increase wheat and staple crop production, emphasizing self-sufficiency. Key proposals included provision of modern farm machinery to growers, development of command area for small dams, interest-free loans for agricultural graduates and student scholarships.
Major health projects discussed included the Khan Institute of Organ Transplant, the establishment of a health city and a general hospital in Peshawar, medical complexes in Malakand and Kohat, and breast cancer screening centers in five departmental headquarters. There were also proposals for an oncology centre, a burn center and a kidney center in Mardan along with a clinical tower in Swabi.
