PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Doctors Association has demanded a comprehensive audit of the Sehat Card Plus programme. Moreover, it wants independent investigations into alleged financial irregularities in public health institutions. In addition, it seeks the recruitment of around 600 district specialists. As a result, these specialists would address staff shortages in hospitals across the province.
PDA President Dr Amir Taj Khan submitted a 20-point proposal. Specifically, it went to the Adviser for Health, Lieutenant General (retd) Dr Nigar Johar Khan. In the proposal, he called for sweeping reforms in healthcare governance. He also addressed doctors’ service matters and public health service delivery.
Independent audit at the centre of the demands
The association called for an independent audit of Sehat Card Plus. This is the province’s flagship health insurance programme. It also proposed placing the programme directly under the provincial government. Specifically, it wants the programme moved away from the State Life Insurance Corporation. In addition, it demanded a confidential audit of medicine contracts and a review of procurement procedures.
The demand touches a programme that has delivered high-profile results. For example, earlier this month, Khyber Teaching Hospital performed itsfirst kidney transplant under the Sehat Card. The provincial government held this up as proof of the scheme’s value. The PDA’s call for an audit is not a rejection of the programme. Instead, it is a demand that its finances withstand independent scrutiny.
Dissolve the boards, the PDA says
The association demanded the dissolution of the existing boards of governors. These cover medical teaching institutions and other health-related bodies. In addition, it called for appointments based on merit and professional competence. Furthermore, it sought high-level inquiries into alleged corruption and financial irregularities, with strict action against those found responsible.
The board-of-governors model has been contentious across the country. At Islamabad’s Pims, employees have opposed rumours of a return to the same system. They point to its failure and discontinuation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa itself. In fact, the PDA’s demand now echoes that history from within the province.
A strained health system
The PDA’s 20-point proposal lands in a province where the health system is under visible strain. In fact, the association wants 600 district specialists recruited to fill gaps in hospitals. This figure underlines how thin staffing has become outside the major cities. It is the same staffing crisis that has fuelled unrest at hospitals. The unrest stretches fromPeshawar’s public institutions to Karachi’s JPMC, where doctors protested unpaid salariesearlier this month.
The demands also come as the province’s doctors press on service matters more broadly. This week’sfirst national mental health surveyhighlighted the pressures on health workers nationwide. Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa continues to battlepolio transmission. This is a reminder that governance failures in the health sector have direct public-health consequences.
Whether the health adviser’s office acts on the proposal remains to be seen. However, the PDA has set the terms for the next round of the province’s health-governance debate. Specifically, it did so by putting three issues on the table in a single document. These are the Sehat Card’s finances, the boards of governors and procurement procedures.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PDA demanding?
The PDA is demanding four things. These are an independent audit of the Sehat Card Plus programme. It also wants investigations into alleged financial irregularities in public health institutions. It also wants the recruitment of around 600 district specialists. Finally, it seeks the dissolution of existing boards of governors of medical teaching institutions.
Who received the proposal?
In fact, the 20-point proposal was submitted to the Adviser for Health. That is Lieutenant General (retd) Dr Nigar Johar Khan. It was submitted by PDA President Dr Amir Taj Khan.
What would change about Sehat Card Plus?
The PDA wants the programme placed directly under the provincial government. It should move away from the State Life Insurance Corporation. In addition, it wants an independent audit of its finances. It also seeks a confidential audit of medicine contracts.
