Healthcare delivery system all set for major revamp in Punjab
Tuesday, 15/01/2013
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The healthcare delivery system is in for major revamp in Punjab. With a Task Group on Health and Medical Education of Punjab Governance Reforms Commission making recommendations for improving the standards of public health facilities, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has given in-principle approval to bring sea change in the health sector in Punjab.
With the objective of appraising and improving the standards of healthcare and medical education in the state, Punjab Governance Reforms Commission (PGRC) had in June, 2012 constituted a 12-member Task Group on Health and Medical Education.
Headed by the Medical Council of India chairman Prof KK Talwar as its chairperson, the panel comprised Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Vini Mahajan as member secretary and experts from different departments at Chandigarh PGIMER as members.
Suggesting increased budget allocation to health sector (presently state is spending about Rs 1,200 crore, 0.46 per cent of GDP, as compared to 0.9-1.2 per cent of GDP at national level), the Task Group advocated raising health sector budget to national level and then progressively increase to achieve a target as suggested for provision of health to all.
A rapid review of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana that was implemented a year ago was advised to assess the potential for scaling up universal healthcare.
To improve governance, the panel recommended adoption of Rules notified under Clinical Establishment Act by Central Government in the state to regulate private clinics, nursing homes and laboratories.
“There is an urgent need to assemble all the provisions in one over-arching public health legislation, so that the implementation of the responses to an epidemic can be effectively monitored,” it suggested.
On human resources front, the Task Group wants urgent efforts to fill up all the vacant positions as per state norms initially and should be increased as per Indian Public Health Standards in a phased manner. Adoption of rational human resource deployment policy and more pay to specialists than the general doctors and rural medical officers to attract more specialists to serve on public health institution were recommended.
Observing that the sanctioned staff strength is inadequate to provide the requisite service level, it suggested assessment for the state to find out how many staff positions need to be created for all categories of health personnel, including doctors.
To overcome the shortage of radiologists and anaesthetists, the panel suggested involving radiologists and anaesthetists in private sector by giving appropriate financial incentives.
To provide comprehensive healthcare services, the Task Group recommended adequately and suitably staffing the district hospitals with specialists and well-equipped laboratories and radiology facilities.
“Rationalisation of emergency services in select pre-designated institutions so that say in a radius of 30 km, one institution is fully equipped to handle 24x7 emergencies and there is no overlapping,” was also recommended, while suggesting networking of district-level healthcare facilities with the medical colleges in the state.
With the current trend of rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, the list of common ailments, essential drug list and drug dispensing policy was suggested to be modified, if the budget permits.
For strengthening information system and monitoring, the Task Group suggested pooling of all health related information into a repository; external monitoring and evaluation of service, performance of the public health institutions; State Bureau of Health Intelligence (SBHI) on the pattern of CBHI; think tank for strategic initiatives; publication of annual Health Profile of Punjab.
