Advisor Health, Secretary Chair DHO Conference: Performance Reviewed

The sixth District Health Officers (DHO) conference was convened under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ihtesham Ali and Secretary Health Shahidullah Khan

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Aug, 2025) The sixth District Health Officers (DHO) conference was convened under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ihtesham Ali and Secretary Health Shahidullah Khan.

The meeting was attended by Chief HSRO Dr. Ijaz, Director IMU Dr Qasim, DHOs from across the province, Additional Director Generals, and Regional DGs.

During the session, Advisor Health Ihtisham Ali emphasized the need for improved service delivery across primary healthcare units.

Key performance indicators such as medicine availability, functionality of medical equipment, staff attendance, and accurate HRMIS data entry were reviewed.

DHO Mardan Dr Shoaib and DHO Lower Chitral were awarded certificates of appreciation for exemplary performance.

Secretary Health Shahidullah Khan reprimanded DHOs from North Waziristan, Torghar, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Swat, Battagram, and Lower Kohistan over incorrect LMIS entries.

They were directed to rectify the errors within two days or face disciplinary action.

The Health Advisor was briefed on the supply of medicines worth over Rs.1 billion.

A committee has been constituted at the Directorate General to address the issue. While Rs327 million worth of medicines have been supplied, Rs942 million remain in stores awaiting distribution.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the performance of Primary Care Management Committees (PCMCs), the Advisor noted that only Rs.

18 million out of Rs.148 million had been utilized due to complex guidelines. Revision of these guidelines is in its final stages, expected to accelerate training and implementation.

Strict action was announced against chronically absent doctors.

Of 38 such cases, 15 DHOs have submitted reports, and departmental proceedings for termination have commenced.

IMU-identified 24 absent medical officers, 14 of whom have been verified by DHOs, are also facing disciplinary action.

The Advisor ordered recruitment of new doctors on contract to fill the gaps.

The conference also reviewed progress on HRMIS data digitization. Over 97,000 employees are being digitized, with 87% of Grade-17 officers’ data already uploaded. Secretary Health ordered the suspension of DHO Khyber’s HRMIS focal person over incorrect data entry.

Performance improvements were noted in health facilities across the province.

Availability of 20 essential medicines stood at 70%, functionality of nine critical medical devices at 95%, and cleanliness scored 77%. Over 1,400 childbirths were recorded in July.

Concluding the session, Advisor Ehtesham Ali directed all DHOs to improve their performance before the next conference or face strict administrative action.