BHUs falter in providing quality healthcare

Only seven out of 100 Primary Health Centres meet PHC standards

RAWALPINDI:

The healthcare system in Rawalpindi's primary health centres has come under scrutiny as only seven out of 100 Basic Health Units (BHUs) in the district have met the health indicators set by the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) over the past fifteen years.

This has raised serious concerns about the provision of quality healthcare to the residents of rural areas, highlighting the inefficiencies and deficiencies within the District Health Authority's framework.

The Punjab Healthcare Commission mandates that any primary health centre must fulfill 75 specific health indicators to qualify for registration. These indicators cover a range of essential services, including the availability of doctors, midwives, ambulance services, labour rooms, family planning resources, medicines, and a complete delivery facility. Only after satisfying these criteria can a health centre be inspected and registered by the PHC.

Despite these requirements, only seven BHUs in the entire Rawalpindi district have managed to meet the PHC's standards. These centres, located in Pakhral, Kallar Syedan, Brahma, Taxila, Rehmatabad, Kotha Kallan, Rawalpindi, Sui Cheemian, Gujar Khan), Pindi Noushehri, and Usman Khattar, both in Tehsil Taxila, have successfully completed the 75 health indicators, leading the Punjab Healthcare Commission to visit these centers for inspection.

According to officials, District Health Officer Dr Naveed Akhtar Malik along with his team, has been instrumental in this effort, subsequently reaching out to the PHC to register these centres.

However, the situation is even direr when it comes to the nine Rural Health Centres spread across the district. These centres are required to fulfill 95 health indicators to obtain registration from the PHC, yet not a single one has achieved this milestone. The inability to meet these indicators reflects poorly on the quality and efficiency of the healthcare services provided at these RHCs.

The lack of progress in meeting these standards highlights the outdated and rudimentary nature of the facilities at many of these centres.

Meanwhile, locals say the situation underscores the dire need for improvements in the primary healthcare system across the district. If the remaining BHUs and RHCs were to meet the PHC's health indicators, it would pave the way for providing free and quality healthcare to the poor and middle-class populations in these rural areas.

Until then, the treatment system in the district's primary health centres remains a significant question mark, reflecting broader issues within the healthcare infrastructure that demand urgent attention and reform.