Trainee Medical Officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) are celebrating a 10% increase in stipends, approved by the provincial cabinet in a meeting chaired by Minister Syed Masood Shah. The decision, attributed to economic constraints, fell short of the proposed 30% raise. Dr. Riaz Anwar, Special Advisor to the Caretaker Chief Minister on Health, stressed the importance of trained medical professionals in the healthcare system during the meeting. Health Secretary Mahmood Islam revealed that these officers hadn’t received a stipend increase since 2017.
In a concerning turn, the meeting also addressed a diphtheria outbreak in the region, with 269 reported cases. Dr. Anwar assured that health authorities are actively addressing the situation and pledged to take necessary steps to contain the disease. The officials reassured the public of an adequate supply of anti-diphtheria serum.
To combat the outbreak, medical teaching institutions (MTIs) and district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) have been instructed to establish isolation wards for diphtheria patients. The dual focus on healthcare professionals’ stipends and the urgent response to the diphtheria outbreak underscores the challenges and priorities in KPK’s healthcare system, with authorities working to balance financial constraints with public health needs.