Ministry of Health planning to establish a Health Emergency Surveillance and Response (HESR) system based on district, tertiary hospital and provincial government level. This was stated by secretary health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari while briefing the Caretaker Federal Minister for Health, Ejaz Rahim on Friday.
The heads of Islamabad-based health institutions were also present on the occasion. The secretary further said that PMDC Regulations would be reviewed in consultation with PMDC Authorities to bring about useful changes required in the public interest securing the interests of both public and private sector.
A committee will be set up to finalise proposals for a Human Resource Development Programme for nurses, midwives and paramedics, he said and added that this would be in line with knowledge-based and service-based manpower required under vision 20-30. The Committee will report to the Minister within 10 days.
"Standard operating procedure will be made to respond to diseases based emergencies in urban and rural setting," Lahsari added. In the briefing, it was decided to finalise recommendations for suggestions-based practice to be started on priority basis in PIMS Islamabad. For this a plan of action will be submitted to the Minister of Health within one week.
It was also decided that priority attention would be paid to production of anti-rabies vaccine (against dog bite) in National Institute of Health based on cell culture and sufficient production of anti-snake vaccine. The executive director NIH was asked to firm up plans within ten days.
Talking about Drug Regulatory Authority the secretary health informed that the ministry has decided to finalise consideration of details on priority basis to ensure high quality medicines to the public.