Punjab, Balochistan to improve healthcare service system

LAHORE:The healthcare commissions of Punjab and Balochistan will collaborate further to improve the healthcare service delivery systems of both provinces and benefit from their respective ambits of functioning.

This was decided by the commissions in a two-day meeting held at the PHC office. Chairperson Board of Commissioners of Balochistan Healthcare Commission (BHC) Justice (retd) Abdul Hameed Baloch led an eight-member delegation comprising members of the Board and other officials, whereas Chairperson BoC PHC Justice (retd) M Bilal Khan headed his team. Detailed discussions were held regarding the health landscape of their respective provinces. The officials dilated upon various aspects and issues of quality assurance in the healthcare service delivery, implementation of rules and regulations, minimum service delivery standards (MSDS) and their enforcement in the healthcare establishments (HCEs). The visiting delegates appreciated the PHC for its success in bringing reforms to the provincial health sector.

While welcoming the BHC delegation, Chief Executive Officer PHC Dr M Saqib Aziz briefed the delegation about the regulatory framework and its consequential impact on the quality of healthcare services, jurisdiction, working, mandate and achievements of the PHC. The visiting delegates were briefed about the PHC’s performance, and were told that so far the Commission had registered more than 62,000 besides preparing the MSDS for all kinds of treatment facilities and enforcement of the Standards in the HCEs.

About the training of the health professionals on the MSDS, it was mentioned that the Commission had trained over 25,500 healthcare professionals of around 21,000 HCEs to implement the Standards, and carried out more than 32,400 inspections of the HCEs to ensure enforcement of the MSDS. About its anti-quackery drive, the visiting delegation was told that so far the Commission had sealed 49,216 illegal treatment centres, while its enforcement teams had carried out raids on around 177,000 outlets, while 40,147 quacks had quit their illegal businesses.