NIH Delegation Calls On Secretary Health Balochistan

A delegation from National Institute of Health Islamabad met with Secretary Health Balochistan Saleh Mohammad Nasar here on Monday The delegation of NIHCDC included Dr. Syed Aftab Rahim, Dr. Syam Rashid. The delegation discussed the implementation of a pilot project titled "Establishment of Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance System in selected Tertiary Healthcare Facilities (TCH's) across Pakistan"

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Mar, 2023 ) :A delegation from National Institute of Health Islamabad met with Secretary Health Balochistan Saleh Mohammad Nasar here on Monday The delegation of NIHCDC included Dr. Syed Aftab Rahim, Dr. Syam Rashid. The delegation discussed the implementation of a pilot project titled "Establishment of Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance System in selected Tertiary Healthcare Facilities (TCH's) across Pakistan." Various officials of the health department including Director General Health Balochistan Dr. Noor Qazi, Dr. Tahira Kamal, Medical Superintendent Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital Quetta, and consultant Health Secretary Dr. Ababgar Baloch, in-charge of PDSRU Dr. Abad Achakzai and others participated in the meeting.

Secretary Health Balochistan while talking to the delegation said by conducting an infection surveillance system, one can be aware of the disease situation including disease prevention in hospitals.

He said that work on infection, prevention and control is the need of the hour. We appreciate NIH's role in this mechanism of infection control surveillance.

The NIH delegation said that as the National Focal Point for International Health Regulations (IHR-2005)/GHSA/AMR/PC, NIH is nationally responsible for Antimicrobial Resistance (AM) and Infection Prevention and Control (IC). NIH is providing technical assistance to provinces to implement government policies and standards related to safe health facilities and IPC practices.

The delegation further said the aim of the pilot project is to generate Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) surveillance data, which will provide evidence-based resources for implementation of IPC framework practices in selected tertiary care hospitals across the country. The NIH delegation requested Secretary Health Balochistan to nominate a prospective tertiary care hospital as a pilot institution for the said project.

Fatima Chest Hospital Quetta and Trauma Center Sandman Hospital Quetta have been finalized for the pilot project. The project will provide valuable guidance for implementing IPC framework practices in selected tertiary care hospitals across the country. Dr Noor Qazi DG Health Balochistan NIH Islamabad is committed to playing a leading role in implementing AMR and IPC initiatives at the national level, and establishing a hospital-acquired infection surveillance system is an important step towards achieving this goal. This project is expected to provide valuable insights into IPC best practices in healthcare facilities, and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and a healthier population. Secretary Health Balochistan Saleh Muhammad NasirSecretary Health Balochistan thanked all the participants for their support and guidance in this important initiative and said that it is expected that this project will play an important role in the health of the people of Balochistan.