KOHAT: The Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), a nongovernmental organisation, has taken over the control of all 20 basic health centres in Kohat district following withdrawal of medical officers from these BHUs by the provincial government.

The PPHI has provided required doctors and facilities to ten BHUs, while the rest of the centres would soon be equipped with medical officers for which advertisements have been floated in newspapers.

Keeping in view the conservative society both male and female doctors are being appointed to BHUs, said Dr Fazal, PPHI manager for Kohat district.

Talking to journalists here the other day, he said that a lady health visitor and a ‘dai’ would be made available in the BHUs to handle labour cases during night time.

He said as the people of far flung areas could not come to Kohat city due to poverty, therefore, they had been provided health facilities near their homes.

He said that the PTI-led provincial government had taken back all doctors and LHVs from basic health centres and appointed them in hospitals after it imposed medical emergency in the province.

The government had also not paid salaries to health staff of BHUs for sixth months, he said and added the employees had now been paid their withheld salaries.

Dr Fazal said that the government paid Rs45,000 per month to doctors in far flung areas who would now be paid Rs52,000 so they could better serve people in remote areas.

The NGO official said facilities of water and latrines were also being provided to BHUs, besides renovating buildings, including residences of doctors.

He said that now there would be complete ban on private practice of doctors of BHUs. He said that quality medicines would be provided free of cost to patients.

Dr Fazal said that the community organisations at village level were being revitalised to create awareness among people about the new facilities being provided to basic health units in the district.

He said that directives had been issued to all BHUs to particularly focus on fighting polio, measles and a new Lashmenia disease which had affected many people in the western parts of Kohat.

“Leaves of BHU staffs would be cancelled during vaccination campaigns against deadly diseases,” he added.

Dr Fazal informed that all necessary equipment was being provided to BHUs to give the doctors a feeling of working in a full-fledged hospital. He said that strict check and balance would also be followed to ensure presence of health staff at the BHUs.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2014