COVID-19: Asad Umar reviews health facilities at THQs, DHQs

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar held a meeting with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan to review progress on district and tehsil headquarters (DHQ/THQ) health facilities upgradation under COVID-19 responsive and other natural calamities control programme.

The meeting discussed national health facility assessment which was executed for a rapid data stock across all the tehsil and district headquarter hospitals of Pakistan. A federal funding of Rs70 billion is being made available in the PSDP 2020-21 as part of the commitment of the federal government to support provinces for their COVID-19 response and preparedness planning.

Asad Umar instructed that under the umbrella programme, all the less privileged areas, provinces and the federal capital will be provided with the required healthcare facilities at the earliest. The institutional capacity has to be developed under the health ministry while administrative programme shall also be governed under the federating entity for long term basis to deal with the national health emergencies.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Jehanzeb Khan informed that constitution of technical working groups at the federal level to facilitate the planning process, the national health facility assessments currently being executed for a rapid data stock across all the tehsil and district headquarters hospitals of Pakistan and technical resource mapping is underway. He also informed that all the DHQs and THQs are planned to be upgraded with necessary facilities for infection control and critical care. It is envisaged that DHQs and THQs would provide modern healthcare facilities to the people of far-flung areas at their doorstep.

Dr Shabnum Sarfraz elaborated about the details of the institutional arrangements being made by the Planning Commission to expedite critical thinking and planning for the national priority initiatives. She noted that provincial governments would utilise their experience of combating COVID-19, measures that they have introduced, the challenges confronted for identifying key priority interventions to build national resilience towards similar epidemic in future.

The meeting was attended by Member Social Sector Dr Shabnum Sarfraz, Dr Muhammad Asif and senior officials of the Planning Ministry.