QUETTA: The third Balochistan Health Leadership Conference commenced in Quetta on Friday with a strong focus on strengthening administrative capacity, transparency, accountability and the quality of public healthcare services across the province.

The two-day conference, chaired by Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, brought together senior health officials, district administrators and heads of government hospitals from across the province to review the performance of the healthcare system at both district and hospital levels.

Among the participants were Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly Captain (Retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, member of the Provincial Assembly Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, senior government officials and representatives of public health institutions.

The conference aims to improve governance in the health sector and ensure more effective delivery of medical services.

Performance of hospitals and districts reviewed

Addressing the opening session, Health Secretary Mujeebur Rehman said the primary objective of the conference was to strengthen leadership, institutional accountability and service delivery while improving district-level performance in the health sector.

He stressed that quality healthcare could not be ensured without transparency, accountability and effective monitoring, adding that all officers must discharge their duties with honesty and professionalism.

“The health sector requires strong leadership and a transparent accountability mechanism to improve public trust and service delivery,” he said.

During the first day, the performance of the Quetta, Makran, Loralai and Kalat divisions was reviewed in division-wise sessions.

The assessment was based on key performance indicators, including AI-based biometric attendance systems, employee profiling and verification, reports generated through the Integrated Monitoring Unit (IMU), immunisation coverage and other critical health service benchmarks.

Officials said the use of technology-driven monitoring systems was intended to improve transparency and efficiency in the management of healthcare facilities across Balochistan.

Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai and Dr Abdul Malik Baloch participated in discussions and review sessions, offering recommendations to improve planning, strengthen administrative mechanisms and enhance healthcare services.

A special session on polio eradication and routine immunisation reviewed ongoing efforts, disease elimination strategies and areas where vaccination coverage remains inadequate.

Officials underscored the need to intensify efforts in high-risk areas to eliminate polio and improve child immunisation rates in underserved parts of the province.

Under the conference’s accountability framework, cases of non-compliance, negligence and violations of departmental rules identified during the review process were referred for administrative action.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026