PESHAWAR, May 6: The NWFP Health Regulatory Authority (HRA) has decided to launch a quality care survey of 104 health facilities in 23 districts of the province to prepare an action plan for regulating health institutions.

This was announced here on Sunday at the concluding session of a training workshop arranged for a group of assessors participating in the testing of quality standards developed by the HRA.

NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah, who was chief guest on the occasion, said the province was playing an effective role in developing quality management standards in the health sector.

“We have reached an advanced stage, developed quality standards and are now proceeding to its practical application,” he said, adding that the old method of conducting raids on clinics and punishment would not be applied to regulate the sector.

“The HRA is to start a long journey to improve the sector. Foundations are being laid to bring a paradigm shift to reform the health system and we are happy to be a part of the team to apply the concept of quality management,” he pointed out.

NWFP health secretary Abdus Samad Khan said the department was trying to make health services more responsive and accountable and that was why quality standards were very important. He informed the participants that the province was taking initiatives in the area of quality management to reform the health system on modern lines.

“We have the courage to tread the difficult terrain of reforms,” he maintained. The secretary said that three BHUs, one RHC and a DHQ hospital would be assessed in each district to identify gaps for improvement. He asked the survey teams to start work with confidence as all nazims and the EDO of health had been directed to support them.

Deputy health secretary Younis Javed said the idea of Health Sector Research Unit to regulate the health sector in an organised way had not only been appreciated by the federal government but other provinces were also trying to replicate it.

Consultant for the Development of Standards Silva Sax while highlighting details of the survey said that two sets of standards, one each for primary and secondary healthcare, had been developed and published. She said that in the survey, apart from the assessment of 69 BHUs and 35 RHCs and hospitals in 23 districts, 1,365 patients would also be inquired about their degree of satisfaction about the services.

“Eight teams would undertake the survey, collect data and analyse it,” she said, adding that a joint meeting would be held in July to compile the data and prepare an action plan.