Planning & Development survey finds improvement in healthcare

LAHORE: As part of the process for promoting evidence based decision making, the Planning and Development Department has conducted Punjab Health Survey (Round 1), 2016, with support from TRF+, to track results and progress in the key areas of immunisation of children, skilled birth attendance, breastfeeding, antenatal care, postnatal care and home visits by LHVs. The data will enable the Health Department to chalk out its future strategies. 

A launch event was held for the dissemination of the Punjab Health Survey (Round 1), 2016, at a local hotel on Wednesday. Ch Sajid Rasul, Director General of Bureau of Statistics, Punjab, made a presentation highlighting the findings of the survey.

Complete immunisation of children from 12 to 23 months of age is at 86pc which is up by 20pc since the previous survey (MICS 2014) and skilled birth attendance is now 77pc also up by 12pc.

The areas of antenatal and postnatal care have also shown improvement. Chairman, P&D, Jahanzeb Khan said: “We can optimize the results and benefits for the common man by using data in resource allocation”.

“A link has been clearly established between educated and aware mothers for better outcomes,” Dr Shabana Haider, member Health and Nutrition, P&D, in her remarks said and added: “We want to be gauged and measured and accountable to see if we are on the right path”.

Dr Shabana said during Punjab Health Survey Phase-I data of 18,480 houses was collected. She was of the view that postnatal and antenatal healthcare has been improved significantly and skilled birth attendant care has been increased 70 percent in Punjab.

Dr Shabana said Punjab has eradicated the disease of tetanus of pregnant women which has been acknowledged by WHO and UNICEF. She said the basic purpose of survey was to improve the system by pointing out the gaps and highlighting the improvement carried out by the department.

Khawaja Imran Nazir, Minister for Primary & Secondary Health, Punjab, said: “Surveys were good practices and enable us to review policies and to see if we are in the right direction”.

He said emphasis should also be given to good things as well as achievements as opposed to only talking about what is not up to standard. “Doctors in districts have been given permanent cash provisions to replace or repair any equipment in their facility without cumbersome approvals for continuous efficiency,” he said.

He emphasised that the chief minister is very easy to convince and to get approval from if he is persuaded that the results are in the interest of the common man. The minister said all the health indicators in Punjab are significantly improving and the routine immunisation coverage, antenatal and postnatal healthcare have also been improved.

He said revamping of 40 District Headquarters and Tehsil Headquarters hospitals would be completed by September this year. He said presently, high quality medicines are being provided in government sector hospitals which were previously used by the rich people.

Kh Imran Nazir revealed that one of the benefits of third party survey is that such activities identify the gaps in the system and highlight the different aspects of improvements. He said 85 percent basic health units have got medical officers due to the success of central induction policy for post graduation introduced by the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department, which has allocated 10 special numbers for serving in periphery.

Khawaja Imran Nazir said thousands of patients discharged from the public sector hospitals after recovery by the doctors and nurses and paramedics of these hospitals. He said their humanitarian services and professionalism also be appreciated.

 

Besides, SpecialSecretary Primary & Secondary Health Dr Faisal Zahoor, representatives from DFID, TRF, Punjab Healthcare Commission, international development partners, public health experts and senior officers of the departments concerned attended the ceremony.