Efforts under way to improve healthcare facilities

Punjab Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department (PSHMED) is implementing a comprehensive plan of reforms and revamping in tertiary care hospitals of the province for improving healthcare delivery services.
This programme would be implemented in all the hospitals in phases through which infrastructure development, improvement in management, patient care, human resource capacity building and improving standards of service delivery are to be achieved. For this purpose, a modern information health information management system would also be devised in the hospitals.
This was stated by Secretary Specialised Health care & Medical Education Najam Ahmed Shah, while presiding over a meeting on Sunday at Punjab Information Technology Board. Special Secretary Specialised Healthcare Dr Sajid Mahmood Chauhan, Professor Mahmood Shaukat, Director Monitoring Health Department Zaheer Abbas Malik, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq Bhatti, Punjab Information Technology Board and officers of IDAP, consultants of Health Department besides other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Najam Ahmed Shah said that in first phase, reforms and revamping have been started in selected hospitals for which the experts from Turkey are extending cooperation. He said that the scope of reforms programme would be enhanced in all the teaching hospitals for which more services of international consultants would be required.
He said that a change management team consisting of the staff of each hospital would be put in place whose capacity-building, training would be done by the consulting firm. Trained human resource would be prepared at local level who will train other officials as a mater trainer.
A robust Health Management Information System (HMIS) would also be set up. It will be a key tool to help facilitate the execution improved business processes, and will allow for the usage of data in real time for evidence based decision making.
Najam Ahmed Shah directed that detailed reforms plan should immediately be prepared and launched for the selected teaching hospitals for visible impact within three and six months of programme commencement. He directed that a central PMU should be designed to manage efforts along with roles, responsibilities and plan of action.