Evaluation: Health secretary asks for monthly performance reports

LAHORE:

Health Secretary Hassan Iqbal has said a director-level officer will be nominated for third-party evaluation of the performance of Extended Programme of Immunization (EPI), district and tehsil headquarters hospitals and health centres.

He said every officer should submit a monthly performance report. He warned officers against submitting forged reports. He was presiding over a meeting of programme directors and senior officers.

He said there were reports that several executive district officers (EDOs) had not visited health facilities for over six months and that they were unaware of the needs of DHQ and THQ hospitals and health centers.

“There are fears that dengue fever may resurface,” he said. “The Health Department has to focus on dengue control over the next few weeks.”

Iqbal said a Dengue Day should be observed and a comprehensive awareness campaign should be launched. He said health stalls should be organised at religious and cultural events to promote health education.



He reiterated that district officers were responsible for health activities in their districts. He ordered the officers to conduct field visits for reviewing the affairs. He said the Health Department had a large workforce and it was the responsibility of the officers to utilise the human resource in an efficient manner.

He said guidelines for strengthening the primary healthcare system had been prepared. He directed the director general to call a meeting of all EDOs so that they were apprised of the new guidelines for primary healthcare system.

He said in view of to the flood season, all the officers must be available on telephone, even on holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2013.