PESHAWAR – A high-level performance review meeting of the Health Department was held under the leadership of Health Adviser Ihtisham Ali to assess the department’s performance.
The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Adeel Shah, Director General Health Services Dr Saleem, Additional DGs, Director of the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) Dr Ejaz, and all District Health Officers (DHOs).
During the meeting, the performance of DHOs was evaluated in areas including daily outpatient department (OPD) visits at Basic and Rural Health Centers, availability of medicines, functionality of medical equipment, and the overall management and cleanliness of healthcare facilities.
Health Adviser Ihtisham Ali emphasized that the performance review meetings will now be held monthly to ensure continuous monitoring and improvement. The agenda of these meetings will focus on reviewing various health-related initiatives and assessing the way forward.
Key focus areas highlighted included the provision of essential medicines, establishment of Basic Emergency and Neonatal Care Centers, effective utilization of human resources, improvement of immunization coverage, and activation of Primary Care Management Committees.
The Health Adviser stressed that any DHO or Medical Superintendent (MS) whose hospital sees a decline in OPD patients will no longer be allowed to remain in their position. He stated, “Free access to medicines is every citizen’s fundamental right, and it is the responsibility of the DHOs to ensure that every patient visiting a Basic Health Unit (BHU) receives the prescribed medicines free of cost.” He noted that while 40% of the ordered medicines have been delivered, the remaining medicines must be made available as soon as possible.
Health Secretary Adeel Shah directed the DHOs to expedite the procurement of medicines ordered in June and investigate any delays. He instructed that suppliers who fail to deliver within 90 days should be blacklisted. “The funds have already been released, and the drugs cleared by the Drug Testing Lab must be immediately supplied to the health facilities,” he added. He also emphasized the need for prompt action against chronically absent medical staff.
During the meeting, the Director of IMU presented a detailed review of regional and district performance. According to the provincial scorecard for September, the average daily OPD at Basic Health Units (BHUs) was 20 patients, while Rural Health Centers (RHCs) saw an average of 68 patients daily. The availability of 20 essential medicines stood at 51%, medical equipment functionality at 91%, administrative structure functionality at 81%, and cleanliness at 71%.
It was noted that OPD performance improved in the central and southern regions, while there was a noticeable decline in the Hazara and Malakand regions. The availability of 90 essential medicines across the province was recorded at 40%, while the availability of Medical Officers was at 63%.
In September, 356 Medical Officers were found absent. All hospitals have now activated their Primary and Hospital Management Committees, with funds amounting to 87 million rupees available in these committees. Additionally, over 1,400 deliveries were conducted at Basic Health Units in September.
