Rawalpindi outsources seven BHUs

Patients to get free medical facilities; govt to cover medical costs

RAWALPINDI:

Seven basic health units (BHUs) under the administration of the Rawalpindi District Health Authority have been outsourced and rebranded as Maryam Nawaz Clinics.

These clinics are expected to become operational under the new setup by the third week of January.

They will offer citizens free healthcare services.

The Punjab government will bear all operational costs, including salaries for the seven doctors appointed to these centres.

According to sources, the Rawalpindi district has a total of 100 BHUs, out of which 22 have been revamped.

Of these, seven have been outsourced to private doctors under the new initiative.

Each outsourced BHU will have one MBBS doctor, who will provide routine checkups, medication and laboratory tests free of charge.

Additionally, dispensers, lady health visitors and security staff will also be hired, with their salaries paid by the appointed doctors.

The doctors will bill the Punjab government for their salaries, staff wages, and other medical expenses.

The outsourced clinics will still have vaccinators and other staff from the district health authority, which will oversee programmes like the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), family planning, and tuberculosis treatment.

Any surplus staff from these centres will be relocated to other BHUs in the district based on their preferences.

The seven outsourced BHUs include Kolian Hameed, Pachyal Gujar, Jand Melo, Kari Dolal, Ranotra, Mankiala, and Dhakali.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Asif Arbab Niazi stated that outsourcing these BHUs will significantly enhance the healthcare system.

These clinics will operate under a new discipline while remaining under the authority's supervision.

Dr Niazi emphasised that the upgrades in these outsourced BHUs will set a benchmark for improving the remaining 93 BHUs.

The District Health Authority plans to use the learnings from this initiative to bring the standards of other BHUs in line with the upgraded ones.

He hailed the outsourcing initiative as a revolutionary step by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, aimed at modernizing the healthcare system to meet current needs.