Service delivery: Health officials asked to ensure compliance with standards

The Healthcare Commission CEO briefed the meeting about the status of compliance with the standards

LAHORE:

Health secretary Ali Jan has directed all districts to ensure compliance with minimum service delivery standards set by the Healthcare Commission.

He was speaking at the monthly meeting of health EDOs at the Directorate General Health Services on Sunday.

The Healthcare Commission chief operating officer briefed the meeting about the status of compliance with the standards. He stressed the importance of following standards set for blood transfusions, infection control and management of public hospitals.

The meeting also reviewed ongoing development projects. The Health DG urged the evening and night shift staff at district and tehsil headquarters (THQs and DHQs) to improve their attendance at work. He said disciplinary action would be initiated against those caught violating the rules.

Expanded Programme on Immunisation Director Munir Ahmed said that in view of the increasing number of measles cases reported in Sindh and Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa adequate precautionary measures should be taken in districts bordering the two provinces. He urged the officials concerned to ensure laboratory examination of blood samples of those visiting public health facilities with measles symptoms.

Ahmed said that the next polio campaign in the province would be held from May 23 to May 25. He urged the district authorities concerned to finish their planning accordingly. He said the chief minister had directed the department to fill all vacancies of vaccinators before the start of the campaign.

Officials from the Chief Minister’s Roadmap of Health shared their analysis of data gathered on child deliveries, medicine supplies, attendance of medical officers and other staff members as well as on the coverage of an e-vaccination programme.

The meeting was attended by Additional Administrative Secretary Adnan Zafar and officials of the healthcare commission, the Chief Minister Roadmap, the Punjab Information Technology Board, the Policy and Strategic Planning Unit and the United Nations Fund for Children and the World Health Organistaion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2016.