PESHAWAR: The health department has planned to rationalise health services by strengthening oversight bodies to regulate medical practice and education apart from devising strategies to stop medical brain drain and overcome shortage of women health workers.

The plan also seeks to dig out causes of staying out of lady doctors of government jobs despite graduating from medical colleges, according to sources.

A section, Human Resource for Health (HRH), has been established in collaboration with line departments to develop, implement and monitor the relevant policies and plans including regulating institutions for patient safety and supervision of private sector.

The provincial cell would carry out regular assessments to produce and implement ‘continuous professional development plans’. It will have vertical and horizontal linkages at all the levels for effective coordination.

Strategy to be devised to overcome shortage of women health workers

A baseline report has been compiled to draw a picture of the existing resources and plans to make the required human resources and facilities available in the stipulated period.

The report says that the existing human resources are not commensurate with population’s growth coupled with economic, demographic and epidemiological changes in the province.

Elderly and handicapped people and patients with general illnesses don’t have adequate facilities as the system hasn’t been overhauled ever.

The province having 35.5 million people has 1.49 doctors per 1,000 people less than the desired 4.45 physicians, nurses and midwives. It needs workforce deployed at geographically accessible situations as part of its commitment to meet UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should have 39,405 physicians, 118,570 nurses, LHVs and midwives but it has 26,963 physicians, 68.3 per cent of the required number and 13,672 nurses, LHVs and midwives against the required 11.5 per cent.

The population of the province will rise to 50.3million after 12 years and the department would need 55,877 more physicians and 168,135 women health professionals.

The province has 19 medical colleges -- nine public and 10 private-- and nine dental institutions including three public and six private besides 42 nursing and midwifery schools including 34 public and private in addition to nine pharmacies three homeopathy and as many Tibia colleges. The province is likely to produce 24,600 physicians by SDGs deadline.

Annually, 1,330 nurses and midwives receive training and there will be 15,960 of them, lesser than the required number while the revamped ‘medical faculty’ is imparting training and giving accreditation to institutions to maintain educational standards.

According to the report, female physicians are not willing to work despite graduation. Strengthening governance mechanism, legislation and resources are needed to ensure right placement of workforce and meet the health requirements of the population

The report says that production and health management experts for tertiary and secondary hospitals besides provincial and district managers are required. The department says that health technicians play important role and success can be replicated in other provinces.

The new section has also been tasked to ensure practicable solution to the issues pertaining to salaries of the employees, job satisfaction and rights of workers including good work environment free from discrimination and violence to benefit patients.

The health department has 60,000 employees and over 1,560 health facilities in all districts. There should be opportunities for career development of the employees and better incentives could retain the best available human resource, it says.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2018