Nearly 40 percent of the Basic Health Units (BHUs) in Pakistan are operating without maternity services, essential for the newborn and the mother, an official from the Health Ministry told Pakistan Today. He said this alarmingly situation was a result of negligence from Pakistani health managers. In compliance with recommendations of the United Nations, maternity services and delivery kits must be available in labour rooms at BHUs to facilitate rural women. A lady health worker, on condition of anonymity, said BHUs in suburban areas of Islamabad were in a deplorable condition as water facility was not provided. In addition, no arrangements had been made in case of electricity break-down.
She said most delivery cases were attended by the Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) in BHUs in Bhara Kahu, Shahdara, Chatter and Satrameel and banigala, suburban areas of Islamabad. She said labour rooms and delivery kits were not better equipped and were repeatedly used without sterilisation. “Doctors were only available till 12 at noon. For checking in later hours, doctors charged higher fees,” she said.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani recently inaugurated the Rs 10 million rural health care centre in Bhara Kahu with the aim of providing good health care facilities to the poor.
During Pakistan Today’s visit to some BHUs in suburban areas of Islamabad, health care centre in Bhara Kahu was in a relatively better condition as it had been newly inaugurated by the prime minister.
It was observed that essential facilities like washrooms and clean drinking water were not provided at many BHUs. In addition, equipment and services like working oxygen tents, sterilisers, stretchers and wheelchairs were also unavailable. A staff member of BHU in Shahdara said that there was no arrangement of providing free medicines to the poor local patients as the ministry had provided insufficient medicines. She said there was no arrangement of oxygen kits in their health units and patients in critical condition had to be referred to PIMS or Polyclinic, two major state run hospitals in the capital city. Official in the health ministry said over one fourth of the BHUs nationwide lacked a delivery kit. When contacted, Health Director General Asad Hafiz said it was the provincial government’s responsibility to monitor the BHUs. Talking about BHUs in suburban areas of Islamabad, he said the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was responsible for any mismanagement. “We can only make strategies and the implementation does not come under the health ministry’s domain,” he added.
