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Chief Minister, Sindh after getting the vote of confidence from the Sindh Assembly in his maiden speech on 16th April, 2008 has announced full support and expansion of Peoples’ Primary Healthcare Initiative Sindh to the entire Sindh. The Programme is now operational in Seventeen districts of Sindh (MPS, KHP, Larkana, SKR, Badin, Mithi, Umerkot, Tando Mohd Khan, Matiari, Tando Allah Yar, Qambar, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Dadu, Thatta, Under the Programme management along with existing budget of Basic Health Units, Dispensaries, Mother and Child Healthcare Centers have been transferred to PPHI, Sindh. The PPHI is now looking after about 522 BHUs, 25 Maternity Homes & 303 Dispensaries (Total 850 HFs). The following are the achievements of the Programme;
There were about 87 HFs out of 883, which were either closed or Non Functional. All of them have now been made functional. Illegal Occupation of Police and influential people have been removed from about 27 HFs.
Qualified doctors were available only at 51% of the Rural HFs. Now it has been increased to 98% through PPHI under a clustering strategy. The Male doctors are paid according to the difficulties of area, location and salary. MO is being paid at Rs. 24000 per month. Example: a place called Kankio (200 Kms away from Mithi where there was no doctor since construction of BHU now doctor is employed at Rs. 30000 per month whereas a couple has been working at the cluster of Five HFs at the rate of Rs. 80,000 per month. These doctors are not allowed to do the private practice.
All previous Governments were used to construct HFs but without making these HFS functional. Resultantly, buildings were there but no budget hence no doctor no medicine. PPP Government after assuming the charge has approved the SNE of 98 HFs out of 158 Non SNE HFs transferred to PPHI. The remaining are in the process of approval.
There has never been a lady doctor cover in the rural areas of Sindh. PPP Government acting on the agenda of the Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto has given special grant of Rs. 50 M to PPHI for the purpose. The priority is poor rural women. PPHI has employed about 200 lady doctors at monthly salary of Rs. 35000, 40,000 and even Rs. 50000 per month depending upon the location of the HFs. These lady doctors visiting to about 650 HFs once or twice a week in seventeen districts of Sindh. They have examined about 135,000 patients in last six months.
PPP Government has initiated free Mobile Ultrasound Service popularly known as ‘TV X-ray’ in rural areas. The WMO used to visit 10 to 15 HFs twice a month in Rural Areas touching each Taluka and carry out free Ultrasound consultation. This facility is now available in districts Sukkur, Badin, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Larkana & Matiari.. In last six months about 63000 free ultrasounds have been carried out free of cost. Soon this will be expanded to all seventeen districts of PPHI.
There is strict Monitoring of the staff. In last six months 15,959 visits have been conducted by PPHI teams to various HFs. In the month September, about 72 reported absent. Minister Health himself has signed and issued the SCN to about 20 absentee doctors. Now the absence rate has been reduced from 47% to 5% only.
GOS has invested about Rs. 20 Billion over the Primary Healthcare infrastructure in last 27 years but very little has been spent on its maintenance. PPP Govt. has up till now released an amount of Rs. 250 M in order to improve the infrastructure situation of all HFs in rural areas of Sindh. Till now, about 100 HFs have been renovated in seventeen districts whereas work in progress in about 150 more HFs which will complete by June 2009.
About 628 HFs have been provided with V wireless telephone facility for quick communication and transfer of messages.
PPHI is suppose to constitute Community Support Groups at the level of each HF. Till now about 683 CSGs have been formed to create ownership of HFs and to conduct Health Awareness Sessions. PPHI has conducted about 2,487 Health Sessions to create awareness of diseases in rural population.
PPHI is providing the ASV and ARV free of cost at the Rural Health Facilities.
PPHI has now made functional the full time Maternity Homes in various districts- Larkana (2), Badin (1), Kashmore (1) and 5 will be opened soon in MPS, 2 in Khairpur, 1 in NF etc.
PPP Government has improved the rate of patient turn over. In last six months OPD turn over has been increased from 2,453,256 to 8,478,048 (245% increase) |
