KARACHI: Govt-NGO deal on model health units signed
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Feb 2: The Sindh government has decided to set up model rural health units in the interior areas of the province on the basis of public-private sector partnership with a view to provide better and improved health services to common man.
Senior Minister for Health Syed Sardar Ahmad, talking to Dawn on Friday, said that such units would be made available with in two months in five selected districts of the province in the first phase.
Referring to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Sindh government with the Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO) here on Friday, the minister said that he was very much impressed by the performance of the similar health units currently functioning in Rahimyar Khan, where every model health unit had not only qualified male and female doctors, ambulances and other vehicles at its disposal, but all necessary medicines were available for patients.
These facilities, he added, also enabled people to shift a patient in critical condition from the health unit concerned to the district hospital for advance treatment.
He recalled that while holding the portfolio of finance, he had made allocation for the setting up of model health units in rural Sindh and after taking over the health portfolio now, he was working to implement the scheme. The signing of the MoU, he said, was the first practical step towards the implementation.
The SRSO, headed by Dr Shoaib Sultan, is an NGO engaged in the activities focused on an improved health care system. Under the MoU, the SRSO would manage the affairs of the model health units under the supervision of the provincial government. The latter would provide funding for the expenditure relating to the procurement of medicines and services of doctors and peramedics in accordance with the budgetary allocations. The SRSO is supposed to raise the funds for other expenditure through donations, etc.
The minister said that after successful implementation of the first phase, such model health units in the other 18 districts would be set up.
The minister observed that most doctors would not like to serve in rural areas and more regretfully among them appeared to be those who hail from very these backward areas.
He also noted that the funds provided for the procurement of medicines for the rural health units were not utilised properly. Keeping in view the facts, he added, this scheme was being introduced under the public-private sector partnership which would ensure better salaries for medical professionals and better service to ailing humanity.
The minister said that the MoU also envisaged improvement and strengthening of the primary health care system in Larkana, Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Sukkur districts.
The MoU was signed by Secretary Health Dr Naushad Shaikh on behalf of the Sindh government, and by Dr Riaz Ahmad Memon, on behalf of the SRSO.
