“We need to hire at least 15 health specialists to supervise all the health programmes and increase the number of vaccinators from 11 to 23,” says an official. PHOTO: FILE
The implementation of the Islamabad Health Equity Model, a first-of-its-kind concept which envisages the delivery of equitable health services to the capital’s residents, is in jeopardy. The reason being cited for this is severely under-staffed Directorate of Health Services (DHS), a wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
“Currently, there are only three public health specialists working at DHS who are looking after a number of health programmes such as EPI, pollen allergy, polio and other viral diseases and fumigation. They are already overburdened and they cannot implement the study’s findings,” said an official at CDA, who wished not to be named.
Islamabad Health Equity Model, a study conducted by DHS in collaboration with Health Service Academy and Pakistan Medical Research Council, was carried out in partnership with the World Health Organisation and Unicef. Launched in April, the study envisaged healthcare packages and a multi-sectoral health forum to provide health services without discrimination.
Talking to The Express Tribune, the official said that the Islamabad Health Equity Model needs to be implemented but the department cannot oversee it because of its limitations. “Since DHS was set up in 1984, it has not been expanded to meet challenges arising out of the changing dynamics of public health.” The official added that 1.9 million people reside in Islamabad and because of mass migration from across the country, it is clear that socio-economic conditions have become more inequitable. There are a large number of internally displaced people.
“We need to hire at least 15 health specialists to supervise all the health programmes and increase the number of vaccinators from 11 to 23.”
DHS is headed by a director who nobody takes seriously and when he calls a meeting most officials ignore him which is also a major setback, the official added.
DHS Director Dr Hasan Urooj, said he had forwarded a proposal to empower the DHS to the CDA chairman a couple of months back. “This will help to implement the Islamabad Equity Health Model effectively,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2013.
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