Daily Times

LAHORE: After failing to improve primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the province which are facing unprecedented shortage of equipment, medicines, doctors, nurses and paramedics, the Punjab government Punjab has imposed a complete ban on establishment of new basic health units (BHUs) for at least two years.

“There shall also be no upgradation of Rural Health Centres (RHCs) to Tehsil Headquarter Hospitals (THQs) and THQs to District Headquarter Hospital (DHQs) for two years,” read the order.

The government will focus its all efforts on improving the current sub-optimal service delivery and achieving efficiency gains, it added. Revamping of existing facilities shall be taken up rather than upgradation and strengthening of health facilities shall be through provision of required human resource and equipment and rehabilitation of infrastructure/ provision of missing infrastructure.

Well-placed sources privy to this development told Daily Times the Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SHC) Department has been assigned the responsibility of providing these services.

Sources said the government of Punjab was focused on consolidation and revamping of healthcare facilities for efficient and effective utilisation of existing health facilities.

However, the ban on establishment of new BHUs shall not impact the schemes already included in ADP 2015-16 and the schemes approved subsequently until February 10, 2016 either on summaries or the chief minister’s directives.

Upgradation of BHU to Rural Health Centres (RHCs) shall be in done phase wise and necessary additional staff shall be posted accordingly and after six months of service delivery, the facility shall be provided a round-the clock-doctor cover by creating two additional posts of doctors. In case of unavailability of residence, doctor may be given a special allowance in this regard.

After six months of doctor cover (as determined by three doctors working there fulltime), BHUs shall be provided with additional essential diagnostic facilities of a RHC along with requisite staff and training like ECG, Ultrasound and X-rays machines and basic pathology laboratory.

After one year of successful service delivery, a BHU may be upgraded to a RHC and requisite infrastructure improvements in the building (in the first stage) and in the residential facilities (at the later stage) may be provided. Consequently, when a BHU has qualified above all these said tests only then it must be considered fit for final upgradation to RHC.