Healthcare in remote areas: Govt promises special incentives for doctors

RAWALPINDI:

The provincial government has announced special incentives for doctors deployed at health facilities in remote tehsils.

Medical officials deployed at basic health units (BHUs) and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospitals where positions have remained vacant for three years would get cash incentives and renovated residential facilities.

“BHUs and THQ hospitals where no physicians were willing to be posted due to remoteness and lack of facilities such as Kolti Sattian would be considered special cases,” said Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Zahid Saeed while talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the commissioner’s officer where health adviser to chief minister Salman Rafique reviewed progress on the Punjab Healthcare Roadmap Project.

Under the project, all vacancies would be filled and 80 per cent attendance of medical officers at health facilities would be ensured within 90 days. Besides, provision of 18 critical medicines to all BHUs would be ensured.

Monitoring teams would evaluate the availability of medicines, presence of staffers and treatment quality and would report to concerned officials.

The commissioner said the district government had identified BHUs that would remain open round the clock across the district, keeping in view the number of patients.

Under the project, in DHQ Hospitals, 10 positions including that of surgeon, physician, pediatrician, gynaecologist, cardiologist, orthopaedic, eye-specialist, anesthetist, radiologist and pathologist would be filled. While in THQ Hospitals, positions of surgeon, physician, pediatrician, gynaecologist and anesthetist would be filled.

The meeting was attended by senior health officials of the province as well as heads of teaching hospitals.

Rafique said powers had been delegated at the district level to take prompt decisions regarding procurement of machinery and appointment of doctors so the target could be achieved within the fixed period.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2015.