PESHAWAR: Provincial Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan has described the approval of first-ever health policy of the province as a landmark achievement, saying government will implement an accessible, equitable and quality healthcare system at all levels.

The minister said in a statement that the plan would be based on primary healthcare approach through the district health system to advance the well-being, productivity and prosperity of people to meet their expectations.

He said that the provincial cabinet approved the fist health policy after proper briefing by Health Secretary Dr Farooq Jameel.

The minister said that the policy would reform and strengthen healthcare system of the province, enabling it to provide essential, cost effective and quality healthcare to all its citizens with focus on developing preventive, primary and secondary healthcare.

He said that health department would ensure universal health coverage for the people based on equitable, accountable, transparent, sound management and governance, result-based management, safe for patients and staff, responsive service delivery and access of essential health services especially for the poor and vulnerable.

The minister said that measures would be taken to reduce the burden of diseases, especially among vulnerable segments of the population, improve human resource management and enhance health financing for efficient service delivery to the people of the province.

He said that the policy would help to strengthen preventive healthcare services focusing on child immunisation, reproductive health, malnutrition and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. He said that the policy also focused on prevention, early detection and subsidised curative support, based on lifecycle approach and continuum of care for common diseases.

The minister said that government would address the issue of major killer diseases in newborns and children under five years of age like diarrhoea, measles, malaria and malnutrition through integrated management strategies.

He said that they would develop a programme to improve the nutrition status of children below three years and women of childbearing age.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2019