Planning and Development Board Punjab Chairman Javed Aslam has said that there is need to reorganise health delivery system besides rectifying the deficiencies of referral system for reducing maternal mortality rate. He expressed these views at the inaugural ceremony of '4th Maternal Mortality Conference' here on Friday.
He said that health indicators of mother and child could be improved at primary level through a vibrant and effective system. He urged the health managers to further improve the role of doctors, nurses, lady health visitors and paramedics. He also asked them to give their recommendations to make Basic Health Units (BHUs) more effective so that better health facilities could be provided to the people. He said during the last few years a numbers of health projects were introduced but they did not achieve the desire results. "Substantial funds are being provided by the government for the betterment of health sector, but restructuring of the system is necessary to achieve the goals," he added.
Earlier, Health Secretary Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan stressed upon the health managers that they would have to expand the scope of public sector hospitals, rural health centres (RHCs) and BHUs. He said they would have to improve their professional attitude and to overcome the shortcomings of health delivery system so that lost confidence of patients in public sector hospitals could be restored. "People prefer to go to private hospitals due to impolite behaviour of medics, which is a matter of concern," he added.
He urged upon doctors, nurses and paramedics to execute their responsibilities for good name of their institutions. He said he has directed all hospitals' administration that the mother and new born child should not be discharged immediately after delivery and they must be kept under observation for at least 24 hours for medical checkup in the hospitals to avoid post delivery complications. "Action would be taken against the officials who do not registered pregnant women and strict action would be taken against the officials convincing the patients for the treatment in private hospitals," he added.
The Secretary said an effective accountability and monitoring system has been introduced in the health department, which would improve the working of the public sector hospitals.
Dr Akhtar Rashid, Provincial Co-ordination of Family Health and Primary Health, Farasat Iqbal, Director Rural Support Programme, Dr Ketsamay, Unicef officer Punjab, Dr Mubasher Malik of UNFPA, Dr Nabeela Ali, Chief of Party JSI, Dr Amanullah Khan, Deputy Country Director Safe The Children, and Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta of Agha Khan Hospital also addressed the conference.
They presented comparison of mother and child mortality situation in Pakistan with other developing countries. The participants of the conference after attending various technical sessions would prepare recommendations for adopting different measures for reducing/minimising the maternal mortality in rural Punjab.