CM highlights major reforms in education at Gajju Khan Medical College convocation

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, has said that the incumbent provincial government is making huge investment in the education and health sectors, adding that alongside improving health care infrastructure and provision of equipment to health facilities efforts are also being made to build capacity of health practitioners and enhance the quality of degrees awarded by educational institutions and gain international recognition for them.
“We are working under the vision to ensure quality education in schools and better treatment facilities in hospitals so that a healthy, well informed, and educated society can be formed,” he said.
The Chief Minister expressed these views while addressing the first convocation of Gajju Khan Medical College in Swabi as the chief guest here on Wednesday. Members of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Shahram Tarakai, Provincial Cabinet Member Rangaiz Ahmad, college faculty and administration, graduating students and their parents attended the ceremony.
Over 100 students were awarded gold medals, and degrees were conferred upon more than 200 students during the convocation. Felicitating the graduates, their parents, and teachers, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur said that attending the convocation of Gajju Khan Medical College was a great honor and pleasure for him. He noted that the graduates are now stepping into the practical field, marking the beginning of a new journey that requires sincerity, hard work, and a strong sense of professional responsibility.
He advised the graduates that if they embark on this journey with the spirit of serving ailing humanity, they will achieve success in both this world and the hereafter. “Patients consider you their savior and place their trust in you. Do not let that trust waver. A patient needs your good behavior, and that is something people always remember,” he said.
Addressing the graduates, the Chief Minister emphasized the need to rise above confusion and make better decisions in life, and to think and act for the good of others. Highlighting the priorities of the provincial government, the Chief Minister said that his government is giving special focus to the education and health sectors.
In the upcoming budget, the education sector’s share will be increased by an additional 13 percent, and the number of scholarships for students has also been increased. He added that the scholarship endowment fund, which had remained at 1.2 billion rupees for the past 77 years, has now been doubled to 2.4 billion rupees by the incumbent provincial government.
Moreover, 1,500 nurses have received training from international universities under this government. Referring to key initiatives in the health sector, he noted that expensive treatments such as liver transplants, bone marrow transplants, and kidney transplants have been included in the Sehat Card Plus program. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to improve health infrastructure and equip hospitals with all necessary machinery and equipment. Previously, treatment for heart patients was only available in Peshawar, but now cardiac centers are being established at the regional level. Work is in progress to set up cardiac centers in two regions, and in the next budget, four additional regional cardiac centers will be established.
He added that a project only becomes truly beneficial when it begins to provide facilities to the public.
The Chief Minister went on to say that when he took charge of the province, only 18 days’ worth of salary funds were left, and the government had inherited billions of rupees in liabilities.
However, due to the provincial government’s effective strategy, the treasury now holds enough funds to cover salaries for the next three months in advance. He said that they are working according to Imran Khan’s vision to reduce debt.
A fund worth 150 billion rupees has been established for this purpose, which is generating a daily revenue of 40 million rupees. Out of 72 billion rupees in liabilities, 60 billion rupees have already been paid off.
In the next budget, the pension liability will be brought down to zero. He further said that 30 billion rupees were withdrawn from the pension fund in the previous government’s tenure, which his government has now returned.
The Chief Minister appreciated the performance of Gajju Khan Medical College, stating that it has become a leading center for medical education, and the relevant authorities deserve commendation. “Among the institutions delivering excellent performance, Gajju Khan Medical College is one of them.,” he concluded.