Health authorities at regional, district level soon: minister

PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Health, Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan, on Thursday said that a comprehensive programme had been chalked out for devolution of administrative authority and draft legislation for the establishment of regional and district health authorities has been prepared.

Speaking at the press conference at the Civil Secretariat, he said regional and district health authorities would be established soon. He added that in the draft legislation, even the administrative authority of health minister was being devolved to the regional and district level. The minister said the objective of the devolution was to end red tape to take quick decisions for the provision of treatment facilities to people and to empower local communities. The minister said that the provincial cabinet had approved the draft legislation and it would soon be passed from provincial assembly.

Dr Hisham dispelled the impression that nazimeen would have influence in the Regional Health Authority (RHA) and District Health Authority (DHA). The RHA and DHAs will be free from political interference and will take decisions through its councils comprising of doctors, nurses, experts and community representatives.

The minister said the RHA and DHA would have the one-time budget facility and would be allowed to take decision independently for purchase of equipment and medicines for provision of cure to patients.

These authorities, he said, would have had the right to take a decision for fulfilling requirements of manpower and will be free to make appointments through a transparent process and on need basis. Referring to the strike of doctors against the formation of RHAs and DHAs, the minister said their service structure would not be disturbed through this system. Similarly, he continued, the ACRs of doctors would not be written by nazims as claimed by some protesting doctors. He also clarified that government was stuck to its policy of posting doctors to their district of domiciles with the objective of serving people of their respective area.