Partnering with NGOs to Strengthen Management : An External Evaluation of the Chief Minister's Initiative on Primary Health Care in Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab

The Chief Minister's Initiative on Primary Health Care (CMIPHC) is an innovative effort in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is aimed at improving the delivery of primary health care by strengthening the services provided in basic health units (BHUs). There are about 3,060 BHUs in the Punjab and in 2002 they saw only 22 patients per day (or about 0.33 visits per capita per year, which is quite low by global standards). In order to improve BHU services and restore the confidence of the community, the CIMPHC formed a partnership with a non-governmental organization (NGO). In March 2003, the District Government of Rahim Yar Khan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Punjab Rural Support Program (PRSP), handing over the management of all 104 BHUs in the district. PRSP introduced a number of innovations, including recruiting district managers on contract at market rates, forming clusters of three BHUs managed by a medical officer in charge whose salary was 150% higher than the government standard, and improving the physical condition of the BHUs. PRSP was provided with the same budget as had been allocated the year before to run the BHUs. From the start, the experience spurred considerable debate in Pakistan. Twelve districts in Punjab have now chosen to contract the management of their BHUs to PRSP. The President of Pakistan intends to expand this initiative to other parts of the country.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2006-03
Subjects:	ACCESS TO SERVICES, ADOLESCENTS, AGED, AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS, BASIC HEALTH CARE, CHILD HEALTH, COMMUNITIES, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DISPENSARIES, DISTRICTS, DOCTORS, DRUGS, ECONOMIC STATUS, EDUCATION, EXPENDITURES, FAMILY PLANNING, FAMILY WELFARE, GENDER, HEALTH, HEALTH CARE SERVICES, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH MANAGEMENT, HEALTH OFFICIALS, HEALTH PROBLEMS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICE, HEALTH WORKERS, HOSPITAL, HOSPITALS, HOUSEHOLD ASSETS, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLDS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, ILLNESS, IMMUNIZATION, INFORMATION SYSTEM, INTERVENTION, IUD, LIVING STANDARDS, MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH, MARRIED WOMEN, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MEDICINES, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, OLDER PEOPLE, OUTREACH WORKERS, PARAMEDICS, PATIENT, PATIENT SATISFACTION, PATIENTS, PHYSICIANS, POLICY DECISIONS, POLICY DEVELOPMENT, PRENATAL CARE, PRIMARY CARE, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, PRIVATE PHARMACIES, PROBABILITY, PROGRESS, QUALITY OF CARE, RADIO, REPRODUCTIVE AGE, RURAL AREAS, SCREENING, SERVICE DELIVERY, SOCIAL POLICY, SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER, TUBERCULOSIS, TV, UNFPA, UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND, URBAN AREAS, URBAN POPULATIONS, VILLAGES, VISITS, WOMAN, WORKERS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/03/7174816/partnering-ngos-strengthen-management-external-evaluation-chief-ministers-initiative-primary-health-care-rahim-yar-khan-district-punjab https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17819
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