PMA flays govt for outsourcing healthcare

LAHORE
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) leaders slammed the Punjab government initiative of outsourcing the health facilities of 10 districts of Punjab.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Dr Mian Ashraf Nizami, Dr. Mehr Iqbal, Dr. Tanveer Anwar, Dr. Shahid Malik, Dr. Izhar Ahmad Ch., Dr. Kamran Saeed, Dr. Tariq Rehmani, Dr. Wajid Ali, Dr. Aleem Nawaz, Dr. Talha Sherwani, Dr. Rana Sohail, Dr. Asma Yasin, Dr.Qazi Yasir, Dr. Tehsina Zafar and Dr. Iram Shahzadi expressed that in a recent meeting of the Provincial Council of PMA Punjab the outsourcing had been rejected.
It was observed that bureaucracy had been exposed in its failure to run the affairs of the Punjab Health Department in the province.
The current initiative is a conspiracy of exploitation of the poor people of Punjab. The initiative is not acceptable to PMA and doctors’ community will resist it at every level.
The PMA repeatedly warned in the past of ill-effects of the contract system and autonomy in the health department, but the government adopted the failed experience for 10 years and ruined the institutions and hierarchy and left the health services delivery in deplorable status.
Ultimately, the government accepted the viewpoint of the PMA and regular appointment system was adopted at the health department in 2009.
The Pakistan Medical Association expressed its concern that in spite of accepting the failures of PRSP model, the government was again planning to award its near and dear ones through contractual system.
The PMA understands that bureaucracy shall leave the department to health professionals as their performance is a glaring example of failure.
The Provincial Council has requested the chief minister Punjab and chief secretary Punjab to refrain from adopting the already failed system of contractual outsourcing model and hand over the department to professionals.