Our Correspondent
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched Pakistan’s first Online Medicine Ordering Portal in the health department as a significant step towards improving service delivery, ensuring accountability, and promoting transparency in the health sector. Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur formally inaugurated the portal on Thursday in a ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House Peshawar.
The event was attended by Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi, provincial cabinet members Major (Retd.) Muhammad Sajjad and Aftab Alam Afridi, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat, members of the provincial assembly, and officials from the health department.
Through this advanced portal, District Health Officers (DHOs) and Medical Superintendents (MS) across the province will be able to place medicine orders online. The portal features a pre-fed list of approved medicines, and orders will be automatically generated based on this list. The officer placing the order will only need to enter the budget, while the system will handle the rest of the process automatically.
The system is designed with pre-fed medicine requirements based on the geographic profile of each district. All orders will align strictly with the MCC list. Any deviation from the list will be flagged by the system. Medicine orders will be generated online with QR codes, making them easily traceable. Additionally, a comprehensive record of all stock availability will be maintained through an online dashboard.
This system aims to prevent corruption in the procurement of medicines, save time and resources, and ensure transparency.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also launched fuel cards for EPI vaccinators. This initiative will permanently resolve the fuel-related challenges faced by vaccinators, resulting in improved routine immunization services.
While addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the provincial government has been striving since day first to provide the best possible services to the public, with health and education being its top priorities. “We are working out of the box to streamline the system. We are simplifying complex routine business and introducing necessary amendments to existing rules and regulations for this purpose,” he remarked.
He further emphasized the importance of digitization in all sectors to enhance transparency and departmental efficiency. “Unfortunately, corruption cases are reported even in sectors directly linked to human lives. We aim to establish a system where corruption is impossible. Alongside reforms, we must strictly adhere to our moral values and Islamic teachings.”
The Chief Minister highlighted ongoing efforts for financial self-sufficiency in line with the vision of the founding chairman. “We are making huge investment in potential sectors, boosting provincial revenue, and ensuring fiscal discipline. As a result of excellent teamwork, the province is now on the path to development and financial independence.”
He also mentioned major reforms introduced in the Sehat Card program, which have significantly expanded free treatment coverage. These reforms and better monitoring have enabled the provincial government to save one billion rupees monthly. Steps are being taken to bring all public hospitals on Sehat Card panel, ensure free emergency medicines, and include liver and kidney transplants in the Sehat Card scheme.
Additionally, at least two cardiac satellite centers would be established in every region of the province.
