Islamabad, November 29, 2019 (PPI-OT): With the launch of Community Health Center (formerly called BHU) in Shah Allah Ditta today, Pakistan has embarked upon the era of high-quality healthcare, accessible and affordable to all. This was stated by Dr. Zafar Mirza, Minister of State for health/ Special Assistant to Prime Minister. Referred to as ICT model, this approach will ensure Universal Health Coverage in Islamabad Capital Territory, and become a landmark for health reforms throughout the country, he said. Inaugurating the first community health center or CHC in Shah Allah Ditta, the Minister for Planning and Development Mr. Asad Umar, who was elected by the people from the same constituency, hailed the efforts of the Ministry of National Health Services and prophesied that the replicable ICT model of healthcare will go a long way into the health and development of the people of Pakistan.
The launch is very significant as it marks the beginning of a transformation at the primary health care (PHC) level whereby around 70% of all health care needs of people will be met at their doorstep, he said. Shah Allah Ditta CHC is now the first primary care level facility in Pakistan where a well-defined package of essential health services will be available. This package is inspired and guided by Disease Control Priorities (DCP-3);a global initiative of cost-effective interventions designed by world-renowned experts. Pakistan has systematically developed its national package of essential health services, and is the first pilot country in the world to adopt the package based on DCP3 guidance.
This national package of services consists of preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services and will be delivered at five levels of health care, namely: community level (through LHWs) PHC facility level (e.g. Shah Allah Ditta CHC), secondary level (ie first level hospitals, like MCH hospital Aabpara),tertiary level (like PIMS), and population level (through mass media). Health services for some key health problems in Pakistan will be delivered in an integrated manner as part of the package e.g., nutrition interventions to address malnutrition resulting in stunting, family planning commodities to address unwanted pregnancies, counselling for mental health, and environmental health etc.
We are beginning from ICT with community level and PHC facility level whereby LHWs are retrained and BHU is comprehensively upgraded (now called CHC) in accordance with the new package, stated Dr Zafar Mirza. Under this model, all public sector health facilities will be computerized and they will have a database of each individual and family in the area. All health centers and hospitals will be using same Health Management Information software, and all centers and hospitals will be e-connected for effective referral systems, he added.
This new health care stream will reliably deliver essential health services in an integrated manner according to People’s needs. The new system represents the real transformation in the health care system, a change that people of Pakistan have been waiting for too long. Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar said the new system will have centralized record of all residents of Islamabad and available at all health facilities. He paid tributes to Dr. Zafar Mirza saying that he has taken his job as a mission and is working with passion and commitment to truly transform the health sector.
Dr. Asad Umer offered his fullest support to Dr. Zafar Mirza to take this initiative forward. It is pertinent to mention here that with the change in political leadership in August 2018, the health care services provision of the Islamabad Capital Territory was reverted to the Ministry of NHSR and C. The Ministry during the past year has initiated work on war footing to alleviate the weaknesses of the existing health system and to strengthen each tier of the system, especially the Primary health care. As part of this system, the Community Health Center at Shah Allah Dittais designed to extend a set of 94 services across 18 domains of health and nutrition. The services are covered through an expanded range of diagnostics and medicines (ECG, X-ray, Ultrasonography, Laboratory testing for blood/urine/fecal samples), counselling and follow-up treatment.
Additionally, deployment of an ambulance for referral on a 24/7 basis has been commissioned. In addition to essential packages, the greater plan chalked out by Ministry of NHSR and C includes building number of new health facilities in the ICT. These include one new secondary care facility, three new maternal and child health centers and four new basic health units, together with up-grading of all three rural health centers (RHCs) and 16 basic health units (BHUs), with the latter having enhanced set of staff, services and provisions and being re-labelled as Community health Centers (CHCs).
The expansion of polyclinic hospital and a 200 bedded hospital for rural Islamabad is also part of this comprehensive plan. The Mo NHSR and C has partnered with the World Health Organization for the development and implementation of ICT health model. The initiative is also being supported by globally renowned London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSH and TM), the University of Manitoba-Canada, and the University of Liverpool-UK.
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