June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

KARACHI, June 24: Senior health officials said on Tuesday that efforts were under way to eliminate the politicisation of executive district officers (EDOs) health in Sindh and make them answerable directly to the director-general of health and the Sindh health department.

The EDOs (health) are the main actors of the health-care system but frequent transfers and postings on largely political grounds – without regard to their capability – are believed to hamper the administrative, curative and preventative aspects of the system, as well as the eradication of the polio virus.

Speaking at a media briefing in connection with an ongoing international technical consultation meeting on polio at a local hotel, the officials said that local and international experts were being apprised of the problems concerning polio eradication. They have also been brought up to date about the proposed remedial measures for Sindh, where so far 10 of the 15 polio cases reported this year have been detected.

The Pakistan Director-General for Health, Dr Rashid Jooma, told journalists that upon the recommendations of the Sindh health department, the federal ministry of health had approached the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) for certain modifications in the local government laws.

These laws pertain to the evaluation of the performance of EDOs (health), the security of their tenure, and the enhancement of the powers vested in the provincial directors-general so that they could annually evaluate the EDOs’ performances, initiate disciplinary action when needed, and check the income and expenditure accounts of the health sector at the district level.

Hoping for a positive outcome of this exercise, the DG health said that the NRB had agreed in principle to bring about changes in the basic documents pertaining to the devolution of power, after which coordination between the local governments and EPI functionaries would be increased, leading to the eradication of the polio virus in the province.

“Given the technicalities related to public health, other steps that have been contemplated include a three-year tenure for EDOs (health) with a strict periodic evaluation of his/her performance, regardless of the views of the DCOs or nazims of the relevant districts, said Dr Jooma.

‘Frequent transfers discouraging’

A provincial health official said that frequent transfers of the EDOs, particularly when the incumbent was still coming to grips with the issues, ultimately discouraged the officer in question and also led to a gap in the expertise and commands in the execution of various health measures.

The secretary of the provincial health department, Shafiq A. Khoso, told journalists that although the current situation was not too conducive, efforts were under way to eliminate the polio virus from the province. “The government was committed to facilitating the EPI Sindh and its field officers,” he said. Mr Khoso added that at least seven EDOs were recently issued show-cause notices for not having improved their performances, including four who were transferred recently, and stated that “we are working towards building the capacity of the EDOs too.”

The special secretary of the health department, Dr Shafqat Abbasi, and the DG health, Sindh, said that efforts were being made to eliminate the misuse of resources, facilities and vehicles meant for health units and schemes. Meanwhile, the work of officers at different levels would also be monitored, they said.

Dr Mazhar Khamisani, the EPI Sindh project director, stressed upon the need to fill the vacant posts of regular vaccinators, and to supply necessary logistic support. Replying to a question, he said that the routine immunisation coverage in the province is around 70 per cent, which would be increased by engaging more lady health visitors.—MA