Primary health care: Govt, UNICEF set up camps in high-risk areas

95 UCs have been identified; locals to be helped for disease prevention

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa health department and UNICEF have joined hands to provide primary health care services by arranging camps in underprivileged, high-risk union councils of Peshawar, Bannu, Tank and Lakki Marwat.

Dr Johar, a UNICEF team leader for polio eradication in K-P and Fata, said a medical officer, lady health visitors and vaccinators would inoculate against vaccine preventable diseases; give drugs; and provide treatment for acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, malaria, eye problems and skin diseases [at the camps]. He was talking to journalists at the K-P Emergency Operations Center on Wednesday.

Johar added the health camps will reach the children who missed polio drives as well as those who are zero-dose [have never taken drops before]. He said vitamin-A capsules, deworming tablets and routine services of Expanded Programme on Immunization will also be available at the camps.

“Pregnant women will be encouraged to visit camps for antenatal [pre-birth] check-ups and registration,” Johar said. He added women during the second and third trimester will be provided family kits [clean delivery sets].

The UNICEF team leader said teams will help mobilise communities to visit the camps and get free services at the union council level. Health awareness sessions will also be carried out regarding hygiene, hand washing, causes and preventions of diseases and good health practices.

He stated communities had been demanding such camps since such a system had been practised in the past during Sehat Ka Insaaf and Sehat Ka Ittehad.

Mapped out

Some 95 high-risk union councils have been identified in the four districts for different reasons, including the absence of health facilities or hospitals not equipped to cater to the needs of the public.

The selected districts have a history of high population movement which makes them sensitive from a health perspective, including poliomyelitis and other infectious diseases, said Johar. The health camps started from March 30 and will continue till June.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st,  2016.