Efforts on to transform healthcare, says minister

PESHAWAR: Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Wednesday said the government was in the process of transforming healthcare service delivery.

He said the public private partnership was the one of the vehicles that the government wanted to use to improve access to quality healthcare in the province.

According to an official handout, the minister was speaking at a meeting. Green Star Social Marketing, Contech International, Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan, MERF, Ehsar Foundation, John Snow, Inc, Rehman Medical Institute, Transcontinental Pharma, International Medical Corps, HANDS International, Integrated Health Services, Prime Foundation, and others attended the meeting.

Taimur Jhagra said the process to engage the private sector would be transparent. He encouraged the private sector to help the government improve the healthcare service in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation has taken the lead in initiating a consultative process, he added. “The process intends to set up a robust and regular coordination mechanism between public and private sectors,” he said. Taimur Jhagra said the Health Department was launching the public private partnership initiatives in KP. “Our efforts for innovation is evident in the government’s remarkable health insurance initiative that was conceptualized and implemented in the province within 3 months,” he said.

Dr Niaz Ahmad, Director General Health Services, praised the Health Foundation’s efforts and highlighted the achievements of the Health Department under the public private partnership.

Dr Amanullah Khan, Chairman BoG Health Foundation KP, said that it was the responsibility of the state to finance, regulate and deliver quality and equitable healthcare services.

KP has decided to engage the private sector for the service delivery component of healthcare, he said, adding that, “We are undergoing a transition to refine the legal aspects of the public private partnership and to strengthen the Health Foundation.”

Dr Shaheen Afridi, Managing Director of the Health Foundation, shared the priority areas for public private partnership.

He said the Health Foundation had initiated the process for the public private partnership initiatives in 10 hospitals that included two district headquarters hospitals. The process for the outsourcing of primary services would be initiated soon, she said. She added the Health Foundation would ensure transparency from advertisement to the award of the contracts.

The forum was informed that robust monitoring systems would be ensured to ensure the provision of good quality health services to the people.