KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday stressed the need for drawing up an internal implementation checklist to evaluate the standards and delivery of health services in the province to provide universal health coverage to its people.
The minister said this during a meeting with federal Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) Director General (DG) Dr Shabana Saleem, that was also attended by Sindh Health Secretary Zulfiqar Shah, provincial DG Dr Juman Bahoto, WHO Representative Dr Sara Salman, Provincial Focal Person for Covid Dr Sohail Sheikh and others.
The Joint External Evaluation Team of the federal ministry highlighted areas where it could support the province to bring improvement in its health sector.
During the meeting, Dr Pechuho said the internal provincial implementation checklist should be updated monthly.
She said in view of the external evaluation to be taking place in March, 2023, the province will conduct an internal review to identify its healthcare systems every fortnight and review their infrastructure and performance.
In terms of capacity building of Sindh’s health systems, the minister stressed the need for strengthening the province’s Centre of Disease Control (CDC) in terms of human resource (HR) as well.
She also emphasised adoption of a holistic approach to healthcare and evolving multi-sectoral coordination, having a willing and capable workforce, besides ensuring sustainable food security, a standardised and reliable lab network and continuous disease surveillance.
“Since we have expanded our testing capacity, we can now go on beyond Covid and add measles and dengue to the primary healthcare testing,” she added.
She said arrangements could be made for capacity building of human resources through donors.
She ordered a review of labs, to identify their HR requirements and capacity for testing.
Dr Pechuho sought NIH support for the provision of HPV vaccine to Sindh for launching the campaign to vaccinate nine to 14 years old girls in the province.
The meeting was informed that currently 14 diseases were being managed and monitored
by the Sindh Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI), and strengthening of phone networks was a must for better reporting and elimination of these ailments.
The minister said through a better telephonic network any health emergency occurring in remote areas of the province could be reported and responded to immediately.
