PESHAWAR, Feb 22: The government is working on the Health Policy-2010 to improve the sector in the tribal area by upgrading facilities at all tiers, says a statement issued here.
The policy was aimed at improving health infrastructure and services and providing preventive, curative and re-facilitative services in an accessible, affordable and sustainable manner to the tribesmen, it said.
Its goals include, improvement in access to health care, reduction in communicable diseases, removal of professional and managerial deficiencies, promotion of gender equity, bridging of nutrition gap, good governance, regulation of private medical practice and drug sector, awareness in public health and community participation, enhancing opportunities for medical training and research and establishment of a functional referral system.
Under the policy, state of the art equipment and qualified staff will be provided to all agency and tehsil headquarters hospitals, rural health centres, civil hospitals and dispensaries and community health centres in four phases.
It envisages a medical college with the upgrading of an agency headquarters hospital to teaching level and a training institute for paramedical staff in the tribal area. Mobile health services for remote areas and institution-based practice will be introduced in the region.
Implementation of a devolution plan during the current year and compulsory two-year rural service of new medical graduates for their appointment have also been proposed. The goals of the policy include training of 1,600 lady health visitors in 2005, appointment of lady doctors and increase in immunization coverage of childhood diseases to 80 per cent by 2006 and the whole population by 2010.
