LAHORE - Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh Salman Rafiq has said that the government was considering relaxing service rules for the recruitment of doctors to Basic Health Units (BHUs).
Speaking at a workshop organised by Punjab Strategy and Policy Management Unit, Health Department for the improvement of Human Resource Management at BHUs on Thursday, he said that age relaxation could be given for hiring Medical Officers for BHUs. Secretary Health Jawad Rafiq Malik, Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha MPA, DG Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, DCOs and EDOs of different districts, Principals of Medical Colleges, Medical Superintendents of different hospitals, health managers, representatives of international development Partners, members of Special Management Units and Director PSPU Ali Bahadur Qazi attended the workshop.
Ali Bahadur Qazi, in his opening remarks, said that e-monitoring by Special Monitoring Unit and appointment of Monitoring and Evaluation Assistants (MEAs) has improved the performance of BHUs as well as presence of doctors, availability of medicines have also been increased. Additional Director PSPU Dr Zahida Sarwar informed that five working groups persisting on health experts, health managers and administrative officers have been constituted for preparing recommendations to improve the present healthcare delivery system. The groups would prepare their recommendations on relaxation of rules for the recruitment of doctors at BHUs, changes in the admission policy of medical colleges and improvement in primary healthcare.
The health secretary urged the participants of the working groups to give practicable recommendations to improve the present primary healthcare system and functioning of all BHUs so that a policy guideline and action plan could be prepared.