Daily Times

LAHORE: After failure in the existing system, the Punjab government has again decided to outsource management of health facilities of five low performing districts to external parties under public-private partnership to improve health services delivery in the province.

All healthcare facilities, including basic health units (BHUs), rural health centres (RHCs), tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospitals and district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals along with outreach services of low-performing districts such as Chakwal, Jhang, Lodhran, Khanewal and Pakpattan, would be contracted out to private firms.

In 2015, the provincial government had faced major blow at the hands of same futile scheme of outsourcing management of 10 low-performing district including Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Bahwalnagar, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Hafizabad, Jhang, Khushab, Oakar and Pakpattan, under Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap in which 566 BHU, 67 RHCs, 25 THQs and 11 DHQs had to be outsourced. But private firms showed lack of interest in this scheme and the government had to faced an embarrassing situation.

Well-placed sources privy to this development told Daily Times that instead of learning a lesson from the past, the provincial government has again initiated the same process of outsourcing primary and secondary health facilities of five districts. Now DHQ hospitals in Chakwal, Jhang, Lodhran, Khanewal and Pakpattan would be handed over to external parties, he added.

Likewise, THQ hospitals in Choa Saidan Shah, Talagang and Kallar Kahar in district Chakwal, THQ hospitals in Ahmadpur Sial, Shorkot and Hazari in district Jhang, THQ hospitals in Kahror Pacca, Malik Tayab Awan, Duniapur in district Lodhran, THQ hospitals in Mian Channu, Jahanian and Kabirwala in district Khanewal and THQ Hospital Arifwala in district Pakpattan would be contracted out to external providers to achieve optimum functioning for getting the desired results of provision of quality healthcare services to the patients without putting any financial burden on them.

As many as 10 RHCs in district Chakwal, 11 RHCs in Jhang, four in Lodhran, seven in Khanewal and five in Pakpattan, besides scores of BHUs of these five districts, would be privatised. Outreach services including lady health workers and Expanded Programme on Immunisation would also be handed over to private firms.

The Punjab government would outsource health facilities to local and international social sector non-government organizations, local private health providers and local private for-profit companies.

Sources said the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has invited bidding from the interested firms to outsource these health facilities, adding that according to the proposed agreement, the government would transfer the annual budget of the “outsourced” health facilities to the account of the qualified firm, which would distribute it among its respective staff.

Under the agreement, public property including land, equipment and other infrastructure of the health facilities would belong to the government. The qualified firms would ensure maximum services under the agreement for management of contract for three years, which would be extendable on the basis of performance.