Seminar: ‘Service delivery crucial for health sector’

Rafique says govt launched Essential Health Services Package to ensure better delivery of services to citizens.

LAHORE:

“After the 18th amendment, there was a need to review the status of the health sector in the Punjab. The government developed its own health sector strategy approved by the chief minister,” said Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique on Friday.

He was addressing a seminar organised by the Policy and Strategic Planning Unit of the Department of Health in collaboration with the Technical Resource Facility. Rafique said the government had launched an Essential Health Services Package to improve systems and to increase efficiency and ensure better delivery of services to the citizens.

He said the goal of the public health strategy was provision of affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to the people of the Punjab.

Rafique said the health system should be improved by taking proactive steps and initiatives in the area of service delivery, health human resource, health information system, medicines and equipments and alternative health care financing models.

Dr Tanwir Ahmed from the Health Department gave a presentation on the salient features of the Essential Package for Health Services.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2014.