KP Health Adviser Denies Deaths Due to Medicine Shortage in Upper Kurram
Adviser to the Chief Minister on Health, Ihtesham Ali, refuted reports of deaths in the violence-hit Upper Kurram region due to a shortage of medicines. He assured that the government is providing uninterrupted medical assistance to the residents.
His statement follows complaints by the local chemists and druggists association about a critical medicine shortage caused by two months of road closures. Association leaders claimed they had run out of essential medicines, including vaccines and painkillers, alleging over 60 deaths—31 of them children—due to the crisis.
They called on the chief minister to visit the district and ensure the supply of lifesaving drugs via helicopters.
CM Aide Highlights Relief Efforts
Ihtesham Ali clarified during a news conference in Peshawar that the government had dispatched medical supplies worth Rs12.4 million to Kurram on Wednesday, raising the total to over Rs30 million. Medicines were distributed by the district health officer in Upper Kurram.
He insisted no deaths had been reported due to medicine shortages and emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges in Kurram.
Mr. Ali stated that road closures had prompted the delivery of medicines through the chief minister’s helicopter. Delays in clearing medicines at airports were unavoidable but were being managed efficiently.
He further shared that emergency medicines, including essential vaccines, sufficient for two months, were delivered to Upper and Lower Kurram, with 1,800 kilograms of medicines sent on Wednesday alone.
Edhi Foundation Joins Relief Efforts
Faisal Edhi, head of the Edhi Foundation, is in Parachinar with an air ambulance to assist the government’s relief operations.
Government Calls for Disarmament in Kurram
Provincial government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, also present at the news conference, urged armed groups in the restive Kurram district to surrender their weapons voluntarily. He warned that failure to do so would force the government to take action.
“The issues in Kurram will only be resolved when armed groups surrender their heavy weapons,” he said.
Mr. Saif appealed to local tribal and religious leaders to convince the groups to disarm, adding that road access would be restored within an hour of compliance. He acknowledged the region’s 130-year history of sectarian issues and emphasized the need for a long-term solution.
