Islamabad:
The country to have comprehensive National Health Policy after consultation with all stake holders. The government will increase health expenditure from the present 0.6 percent to 4 percent of GDP over the next few years to provide health facilities at the doorsteps of the people. Ms Sherry Rehman, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Health, said this while chairing the first Health Policy Task Force meeting at the Ministry Of Health, Islamabad. The Minister invited and welcomed suggestions and inputs from the stake holders and general public in this regard.
Speaking to the members of the Task Force, the Federal Minister of Health said that setting up of the Task Force was her government's first priority. "It is a response to the most shocking reality faced by our government, i.e. the absence of comprehensive health policy to guide the country's health sector. It is most disturbing that the Ministry of Health is running a number of vertical programmes, but there is no basic framework to guide and set a direction for the broad areas of the nation's health management issues."
Elaborating the objectives of the Task Force, the Federal Minister said: "This task force has been delegated to employ its expertise to formulate a comprehensive and well planned health policy. It would follow an integrated approach that delivers through the provinces and districts while supporting and enhancing their activities. The aim of the policy is to strengthen the existing systems and creating linkages between preventive and curative referrals. We are determined to initiate a meaningful process of providing quality health care to all, and this Task Force will devise ways to ensure we deliver on people's health."
Spelling out the Terms of Reference of the Health Policy Task Force, the Minister of Health informed that it would cover the situation analysis of the existing health system in the country and carry out an analytical review of the existing health strategies/programmes. A draft National Health Policy would be prepared that would focus on a National Health Service System, Medical Education, Health Research in Pakistan, Health Care Financing, Regulating the Health Sector, National Drugs Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation of the Health Policy. The Task Force would prepare short and medium term action plans, the minister informed.
"The entire edifice of this health policy will depend on its implementation. We would put in place a monitoring system. Goals will be set with timelines so that we can review our progress. The implementation aspect was missing from all previous policies. There is no point in formulating policies if the implementation side is not taken care of," said Ms Rehman
The Minister constituted five working groups namely National Health Service and Governance, Health Financing, Hospital Management, Medical Education and Human Resource, and Pharmaceutical Group. These groups were advised to submit their First Reports within a stipulated time. These reports will then be compiled together with the input from the public and stakeholders and incorporated into the proposed National Health Policy.
The country to have comprehensive National Health Policy after consultation with all stake holders. The government will increase health expenditure from the present 0.6 percent to 4 percent of GDP over the next few years to provide health facilities at the doorsteps of the people. Ms Sherry Rehman, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Health, said this while chairing the first Health Policy Task Force meeting at the Ministry Of Health, Islamabad. The Minister invited and welcomed suggestions and inputs from the stake holders and general public in this regard.
Speaking to the members of the Task Force, the Federal Minister of Health said that setting up of the Task Force was her government's first priority. "It is a response to the most shocking reality faced by our government, i.e. the absence of comprehensive health policy to guide the country's health sector. It is most disturbing that the Ministry of Health is running a number of vertical programmes, but there is no basic framework to guide and set a direction for the broad areas of the nation's health management issues."
Elaborating the objectives of the Task Force, the Federal Minister said: "This task force has been delegated to employ its expertise to formulate a comprehensive and well planned health policy. It would follow an integrated approach that delivers through the provinces and districts while supporting and enhancing their activities. The aim of the policy is to strengthen the existing systems and creating linkages between preventive and curative referrals. We are determined to initiate a meaningful process of providing quality health care to all, and this Task Force will devise ways to ensure we deliver on people's health."
Spelling out the Terms of Reference of the Health Policy Task Force, the Minister of Health informed that it would cover the situation analysis of the existing health system in the country and carry out an analytical review of the existing health strategies/programmes. A draft National Health Policy would be prepared that would focus on a National Health Service System, Medical Education, Health Research in Pakistan, Health Care Financing, Regulating the Health Sector, National Drugs Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation of the Health Policy. The Task Force would prepare short and medium term action plans, the minister informed.
"The entire edifice of this health policy will depend on its implementation. We would put in place a monitoring system. Goals will be set with timelines so that we can review our progress. The implementation aspect was missing from all previous policies. There is no point in formulating policies if the implementation side is not taken care of," said Ms Rehman
The Minister constituted five working groups namely National Health Service and Governance, Health Financing, Hospital Management, Medical Education and Human Resource, and Pharmaceutical Group. These groups were advised to submit their First Reports within a stipulated time. These reports will then be compiled together with the input from the public and stakeholders and incorporated into the proposed National Health Policy.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment