AFMS, PHC forum to improve health services

LAHORE: The Armed Forces Medical Service and Punjab Healthcare Commission will constitute a high-level joint consultative forum to cooperate in improving the health service delivery in their respective spheres.

This was resolved during a seminar on “Quality Assurance in Healthcare” held at the Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute (AFPGMI), Rawalpindi. Top brass of the Army Medical Corps, including Surgeon General/Director General Medical Services Lt Gen Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, Commandant Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Zahid Hamid and Commandant AFPGMI Maj Gen Ammar Reza Hamdani, heads of departments of various clinical disciplines, and officers from various training courses were also present.

Senior management of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC), led by Chief Operating Officer Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan, briefed the participants on the genesis, mandate, jurisdiction and achievements of the Commission in introducing and enforcing the regulatory regime in healthcare service in Punjab. Director Clinical Governance Dr Mushtaq Ahmad explained the Quality Assurance Model of the PHC, which is based on the practice of Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) in the health facilities.

Both sides further agreed to work for mutual capacity-building, sharing of knowledge and experiences in clinical governance and MSDS, suggest areas for training of health managers and practitioners, arrange bilateral visits of the healthcare facilities to witness on-ground implementation of the quality assurance regimes and hold regular orientation sessions for training courses of the AFPGMI.

It was also agreed that the PHC would facilitate and assist the development of MSDS for primary healthcare units of the Armed Forces, and capacity building of the service providers. The PHC desired to study quality assurance standards of the CMH, Rawalpindi, for formulation of the accreditation standards of the healthcare establishments.

Lt-Gen Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, in his address, lauded the work of the Commission, and underlined the need for creating awareness among the medical professionals about home grown regulatory models in healthcare. He hoped that the proposed cooperation between the two sides would provide an excellent opportunity to work together for improving the healthcare delivery system in the country. “The ultimate aim of this combined effort would be to ensure patient safety and reduce the sufferings of a common Pakistani,” he reiterated. The Surgeon General emphasised that the defence medical service was always ready to play its due role in resolving national health issues and dealing with emergencies because of its countrywide presence including the remotest areas of Pakistan.”

Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan appreciated the regulatory model and quality assurance programme of the Armed Forces, and offered academic, intellectual and experiential resources of the PHC to the Armed Forces in ensuring better patient care.

“As a pioneer health regulatory body, the PHC has been instrumental in mentoring and facilitating the healthcare commissions of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and assisting the governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory in setting up their respective regulatory bodies,” he said.