PESHAWAR: Health programme envisages delegation of powers: minister
By Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR, Dec 21: NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has said the President’s Primary Health Care Initiative Programme is being implemented in seven selected districts of the province to make primary health care system efficient and to provide better services to the people.
The minister was presiding over a meeting on Thursday that was convened to discuss the implementation strategy of the project. Under the programme, a cluster of basic health units would be formed and doctors hired at handsome salaries to serve in the BHUs on specific days.
The doctors would also be provided transport facilities and the performance of the health centres would be monitored strictly under the project and it is designed to utilise the existing health facilities efficiently.
The meeting was briefed about objectives and salient features of the project. A number of suggestions were also put forward to make the project a complete success.
Speaking on the occasion, the health minister said the project, being implemented under the president's directives, was aimed at promoting the basic concept of primary health care. He said the programme would be implemented by an NGO in collaboration with the health department and district governments.
He said the project was being extended to some backward areas to judge its outcome properly.
The minister said that under the project powers were being delegated to lower strata of the management to overcome problems of macro-management.
Inayatullah Khan expressed the hope that the initiative would deliver the goods and solve managerial problems.
Underlying the need for sincerity and political commitment to make the project a success, he asked health authorities, district government high-ups and the implementing non-governmental organisation to maintain a better coordination to achieve the desired results.
The minister said all stakeholders would be taken into confidence in the implementation of the project.
On the occasion, health experts, while highlighting salient features of the project, said that prevention, promotion and curative aspects of health would be focussed under the initiative.
Similarly, they said, apart from strengthening the primary health care services or basic health units, improving utilisation and coverage of services and ensuring access to the health services to a large number of people and community involvement would be among the main objectives of the initiative.
