PESHAWAR: The health department has issued guidelines to district headquarters hospitals regarding treatment protocols and equipment to ensure better service delivery to the patients.

According to officials, four committees with additional director-general services as their head have been formed at divisional level to monitor performance of district headquarters hospitals and tehsil headquarters hospitals. They said that the move was aimed at improving healthcare services at top health facilities at district level and benefiting patients.

“The province has 22 district headquarters hospitals where most health specialties are prevalent but people are not getting the desired medical care neither at rural level nor secondary level due to which the department is concerned,” said officials. They said that the committees were tasked to constantly monitor performance of the hospitals and ensure that resources allocated for the facilities were utilised judiciously.

Four committees formed to monitor performance of health facilities at district and tehsil level

The officials of government departments at divisional level will also be included in the committees to deal with technical issues like construction and equipment etc. Terms of reference have also been devised and checklists have been developed for district headquarters hospitals.

The monitoring teams will also have representatives of district administration and local government who will conduct raids in case they receive complaints. The checklist to all the medical superintendents of district headquarters hospital have been issued according to which they have been asked to ensure better conditions of paediatric, gynae and obstetric wards, operation theatre, accident and emergency department, outpatients departments, pharmaceutical services and blood bank to cater to the needs of the patients.

A 9-page checklist has been designed for the high-ups of district headquarters hospital to ensure cleanliness, uninterrupted power and water supply to the hospitals besides making available waiting area for patients and their attendants.

Moreover, the lists outline that cleanliness, presence of toilets for attendants, waste management system, attendance register to ensure presence of staff should be maintained. Duty rota will be visibly displayed and information about the new construction will be made public.

“The hospitals have been instructed to ensure availability of funds for repair and maintenance and observe protocols for patients’ care and standard treatment guidelines for OPD patients,” said officials.

They said that the guidelines were also aimed at observing national and international guidelines for treatment and management of chronic diseases.

All new and critically-ill patients should be seen at least once a day by senior doctors.

The medical superintendents would be responsible to ensure availability of doctors throughout the week along with keeping proper record of patients’ admissions and discharges on daily basis.

Presence of equipment, including adult resuscitation trolleys, accessibility to defibrillators within three minutes, presence of sucker machines and supply of oxygen and ventilator, anaesthesia and diathermy and ECG machines, blood pressure apparatus and drug supply including intravenous solutions, medicines according to medicines coordination cell’s list, are also part of the guidelines.

“The monitors would also see if the results of investigations are available to patients on time and under the supervision of pathologists,” said officials.

The hospitals have also been directed to display child and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation protocol and treatment and nutrition guidelines, rehydration charts, health messages about benefits of breastfeeding hand washing and immunisation. The hospitals would maintain cold chain for vaccines, availability of paediatric resuscitation and accommodation for mothers, oral rehydration therapy, isolation wards, nebulisers and required medicines besides making available ambulances with drivers.

The hospitals would also be required to send a report on monthly basis to director-general health office regularly about the problems they face.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2016