Efforts urged to strengthen health system

PESHAWAR: Provincial Health Department and Building Health Families (BHF) Project have joined hands for strengthening the provincial health system through provision of infrastructure, equipment and digitalization.

A daylong ceremony for distribution of birthing stations to CMW’s and Kits for LHW’s was held at the Toru Hospital, Mardan on Friday.

Advisor to Chief Minister for Health Ihtisham Ali and Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru, Director General Health Services, Additional Director General, Director MCH, District Health Officer, USAID funded BHF Project Provincial Lead, Lady Health Workers and Community Midwives from Mardan District participated in the event.

Ihtisham Ali said that improved maternal health can help the provincial government to reduce poverty and promote gender equality, as healthy women can play a pivotal role in the development of any society by ensuring better societal prospects for their families.

He also highlighted the importance of maternal health and provincial government commitment towards its achievement.He appreciated the efforts of the Building Health Families project working around the clock to strengthen primary health care systems, family planning and MNCH services through technical and human capacity development of the LHW’s and CMW’s through training and provision of equipment.

The district health officer, Mardan stressed the need for increased role of community midwives and lady health workers as both were reaching out to neglected pregnant women in rural communities of Mardan and delivering comprehensive and respectful maternal care and providing family planning counseling.

He praised USAID/BHF’s role in this regard and highlighted the efforts that are being put by BHF in ensuring a strengthened health system for district Mardan in form of provision of 1263 LHW’s kits, 20 birthing stations for CMW’s, capacity development of health care professional through different professional training and sessions, renovation and rehabilitation of washrooms and awareness campaigns across all the health facilities of Mardan.