Health department needs upgrading, expansion for improved healthcare delivery

Islamabad: The health department needs up-gradation and expansion for improved health care delivery for population living in the rural areas of the federal capital and to give rural population access to quality healthcare services, the government must give due attention to health infrastructure development.

The Health Department Islamabad after becoming under the umbrella of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination has been much active and has already prepared a PC-1 that has been submitted to the Planning Commission for up-gradation of the rural health facilities and strengthening of the health department for effective health care provision in the rural areas of the federal capital, said District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Durrani while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday.

Earlier, before the PTI government, the health department was working under Interior Ministry. The present government and the health ministry are showing keen interest for improvement of health care infrastructure and to bring a positive change in the provision of improved health care delivery system for the people living in the rural areas, he said.

He said the capital cost of the project whose PC-1 has been submitted would be Rs957.840 million and its objective is to meet the target of Sustainable Development Goals that say the population must have an access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

He said the health care providers and mangers must step forward towards Universal Health Coverage for all through adopting Family Health Practice approach to provide sufficient staffing, proper infrastructure and essential medicines.

He said the proposed project is accordingly designed to provide improved essential health care delivery package to population of all the catchment areas of each healthcare facility and to develop an effective referral system.

The basic aim of the project is to improve the quality of work and strengthen the Primary Health Care Delivery System through up-gradation of the rural health facilities with renovation, construction of additional rooms at two Rural Health Centres and 13 Basic Health Units, he said.

There will be construction of one MCH labour room and one observation room with small OPD and examination corners at BHUs in Shah Allah Ditta, Phulgran, Pind Begwal, Jhang Saydan, Gagri and Bhimber Trar that would provide obstetric services round the clock, said Dr. Durrani.

He said the health department needs to enhance human resource since there is existing a huge human resource gap, created over the years and as well additional staff is needed to cope with the expanding population in the rural Islamabad.

The project also plans renovation and minor repairing of already established two RHCs, 15 BHUs and one dispensary operating under the health department, he said.

The functioning of the two newly constructed BHUs at union councils Kirpa and Tarnol is also aimed and the two facilities were not taken over due to the non-availability of staff, he said. Besides that renovation of rest of all the health facilities including two RHCs, 15 BHUs and one dispensary would be carried out under the proposed project, said Dr. Durrani.

He said the up-gradation of the rural health facilities and strengthening of the health department for effective health care provision project would lessen the huge burden of patients at the two major hospitals in Islamabad, PIMS and Poly Clinic.

The project aims at improvement in quality of life through enhanced service delivery of preventive and curative health care. This will decrease mortality and morbidity and disability in the elderly and the children and mothers through provision of timely preventive and curative services including MNCH care and enhanced level of vaccination, said Dr. Durrani.