Districts performing poorly on key performance indicators have been given two weeks to shape up. This was announced at a meeting of district officers at the office of the health services director general.
Health Secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik said two meeting would be held before the provincial review on June 24. Districts that have consistently been underperforming will be discussed at the meetings. “After that, heads may roll.”
The meeting was chaired by Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq. Parliamentary Secretary Khawaja Imran Nazir and Health Services Director General Dr Zahid Pervaiz were also present at the meeting.
Polio Technical Advisory Group Chairman Jean-Marc, who represents a global advisory body, briefly attended the meeting and appreciated the department’s accountability mechanism. Marc stressed the need for special attention to districts in central Pakistan. He stressed the need for inter-provincial coordination to cover districts bordering other provinces.
Officials of the Chief Minister’s Road Map Programme, the EPI, the Policy and Strategic Planning Unit and the Maternal Newborn and Child Health programme attended the meeting. The performance on EPI indicators and progress on safe deliveries, health watch and hospital watch was reviewed.
Rafique expressed concern about districts that had failed to achieve 90 per cent staff presence. He directed the EDOs to take stern action against absentee staff. EPI Director Dr Munir Ahmed said that the progress of UCs in the province with below 70 per cent coverage will be up for scrutiny.
The health secretary expressed concern over unwarranted absence of staff at some basic health units. He took notice of vacant positions of lady health workers in some districts and ordered that temporary arrangements be made through community midwives to facilitate the public. The meeting agreed to fix a day for walk-in interviews to fill positions of medical officers.
Rafiq announced that medical services in 10 districts would be outsourced.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2015.
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