PESHAWAR: The health department has delegated financial and administrative powers to tehsil level to improve service delivery and pave way for implementation of government’s policy at the district level effectively.

Officials said that last month, a proposal by health department was sent to the chief minister in line with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Finance Management Reforms (PFM) Strategy, 2017 of the finance department to delegate powers to the tehsil level. The proposal was approved last week.

They said that the measure was meant to ensure facility level budgeting. “It is also meant that patients’ care does not affect for delay in provision of funds. It will seek to put in place Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) of the finance department under which utilisation of funds would be monitored at the local level,” they added.

Move meant to enforce reforms policy of govt

Officials said that PETS was part of PFM and one of its objectives was to ensure predictability and control in budget execution at the local level.

A notification issued by health department has directed that a BPS-19 medical superintendent (MS) of the category D hospital would act as deputy district health officers (DDHO) for the small health facilities in addition to his duties at tehsil level to speed up financial and administrative affairs and improve patients’ care.

The post of medical superintendent has been re-designated as DDHO in all districts as he would be responsible for matters related to administration and finance at the level of tehsil.

The health department’s decision is part of its restructuring programme to delegate powers and enable the DHOs to concentrate on preventive healthcare activities, planning and policy implementation at the district level.

Henceforth, each of the DHOs is required to look after about 40 health facilities in their respective districts which were difficult because of their engagements in other significant matters.

“The DHOs also keep in touch on regular basis with health secretariat and directorate general of health services as well as representatives of district government with regard to administrative and financial matters due to which they cannot find time to take care of the minor matters,” said officials.

The new initiative has been taken in view of the fact that health facilities in the district often suffer due to minor repairs and administrative issues because the DHOs cannot find time to focus on every facility. “For a small repair and maintenance work, the authorities at the local hospitals have to approach the DHOs. It is not an easy task because they remain engaged in other matters,” said officials.

They said that it had come to fore in several meetings with the DHOs, held with health secretary in the chair, during the last one year wherein it had been pinpointed that lack of financial and administrative powers of the medical superintendents and heads of the civil hospitals, dispensaries, rural health centres and basic health units was hampering patients’ care.

Officials said that the DHOs had also complained that it was not possible for them to look after small matters owing to their press engagements with policymakers and implementers.

They said that the move was aimed at addressing governance issues by decentralisation of authority and ensure smooth delivery of health services.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2018