KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has spearheaded the revival of a program providing free medicines to underprivileged cancer patients, as well as its province-wide expansion to ensure timely and free treatment to 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 examined new projects proposed in the sectors of health, agriculture, youth, sports and humanitarian aid.
Describing healthcare as a fundamental pillar of public welfare, the chief minister ordered immediate resumption of the free medicine initiative for poor cancer patients and its expansion to all districts of the province. He also asked the officials to ensure funds for early completion of the Khyber Institute of Child Health project and formally approach the Federal Government for resource mobilization.
To meet the growing water needs of cities, the meeting directed the formulation of comprehensive rainwater and floodwater harvesting plans to restore groundwater in major cities, with the aim of combating water scarcity and maintaining ecological balance.
In the area of agriculture, the Chief Minister called on the Ministry of Agriculture to draw up a viable road map to boost production of wheat and staple crops, with emphasis on self-reliance. The main proposals included the provision of modern agricultural machinery to producers, the development of control zones for small dams, interest-free loans for agricultural graduates and scholarships.
The 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 in five divisional headquarters. Proposals have also emerged for an oncology center, burn center and renal center in Mardan, as well as a clinical tower in Swabi.
