KP Assembly members criticize outsourcing of Govt hospitals

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly members here on Monday expressed concerns on the outsourcing of public sector hospitals in the province

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th May, 2026) The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly members here on Monday expressed concerns on the outsourcing of public sector hospitals in the province.

In KP Assembly session, the issue of outsourcing government hospitals intensified, as ruling party members themselves raised questions about their government’s policy.

Speaking on a point of order, Government member Ubaidur Rehman said that he had raised the issue of hospital outsourcing in the previous session, which included DHQ Hospital Timergara. He said that the policy was originally designed only for poorly performing hospitals, but now even well-performing hospitals like DHQ Thamrabagh are being included, which is a matter of high concern.

He revealed that a summary had already been sent to upgrade Thamrabagh into a teaching hospital, while an important meeting on outsourcing was scheduled for May 7. Therefore, he urged the government to exclude this hospital from the outsourcing process.

Ubaidur Rehman also strongly criticized the absence of ministers, saying that apart from two or three, no one attended the assembly despite the importance of this public issue. He added that the Health Minister had promised to respond but has yet to provide any clarification.

The presiding officer remarked that ensuring ministers’ attendance was the government’s responsibility.

Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam responded that a formal notice should be submitted on the issue, after which the Health Department or Health Minister would present their position.

MPA Mehboob Sher said that DHQ Hospital Ghalanai had also been included in outsourcing despite its satisfactory performance.

The presiding officer directed the Health Department to consult with the relevant MPAs regarding the outsourcing issue, and said that if members are not satisfied, the Health Minister will have to answer in the next session.

During the debate, Ubaidur Rehman claimed that the Health Department appears helpless on the matter because the decision has already been made at the cabinet level, while the bureaucracy has become dominant over the assembly.

MPA Liaqat Khan also said that after the cabinet’s decision, the department had fulfilled its role, and now the assembly should take action.

The presiding officer clarified that the assembly can legislate and issue directives, and advised government members to first resolve the matter with the relevant department.

During the session, members from Charsadda, Bajaur and South Waziristan also opposed hospital outsourcing and highlighted poor healthcare conditions in their areas.

MPA Asif Khan said that the Category-D hospital in South Waziristan lacked basic facilities and suffered from a severe shortage of specialist doctors.

Provincial housing minister Dr Amjad suggested referring the matter to the standing committee and calling a meeting within three days to find a solution.

Subsequently, the Assembly referred the matter to the relevant standing committee and directed that an immediate meeting be convened.