Trained Family Physicians Needed For Best Healthcare Delivery In Rural Areas: Health Minister

Health Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Hassham Inamullah Khan has underlined the need for preparing trained Family Physicians and other health professionals to run efficient and quality family practice and strengthen the primary and secondary health care delivery system at rural and back ward areas across the province.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Nov, 2018 ) :Health Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Hassham Inamullah Khan has underlined the need for preparing trained Family Physicians and other health professionals to run efficient and quality family practice and strengthen the Primary and secondary health care delivery system at rural and back ward areas across the province.

"Pakistan has around 1,20,000 registered MBBS doctors. Currently, any physicians who pass the MBBS, and are licensed with PMDC can start practicing as general physician.

This needs to change, as family practice requires special competencies for practicing as skilled Family Physician," the provincial health minister said while talking as chief guest in an inaugural ceremony of Family Medicine Diploma here at Khyber Medical University (KMU).

Beside a large number of students and faculty of various constituent institutions of KMU, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid, Pro VC Prof. Dr. Jawad Ahmad, Registrar Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saleem Gandapur, provincial representative of World Health Orgainzation (WHO) and officials of Health Deptt KP were also present at the occasion.

Dr. Hassham said KMU in the short span of ten years has become an icon of high-quality education and research and he was quite impressed by the highly qualified foreign trained faculty members in the various institutes of KMU.

In particular, the MBBS/PhD combination, that is the double doctors are hardly seen in any other public or private educational institute.

He said it is quite impressive that KMU has conducted so many funded research projects, organized conferences and has reached to the 3rd top public sector medical university in the country.

KP-Public Health Reference Lab is another unique feather in the crown of KMU. In collaboration with health department, KP-PHRL will provide diagnostic services for the prevention of outbreaks.

Dr. Hassham said by recognizing the necessity and making the new department of family medicine within the faculty of Public Health with foreign trained family medicine experts from UK and Gulf, KMU is really progressing towards its target goals.

This first of its kind diploma in family medicine will empower the medical officers, mainly selected from the Department of Health staff working in BHUs and RHCs across KP.

The Health Minister said that we as a team are committed to implement this family practice approach in all districts of KP, in the near future. "I know it will not happen overnight but we are working on the pre requisite for this family practice approach; i.e. implementation of MHSDP, capacity building of staff, referral system, defining catchment population and public private partnership at the primary care level", he added.

The Health Minister assured that being Pro-Chancellor of KMU, his office will extend its full support and cooperation in securing short as well as long term goals such as health professionals allowance, brain-drain allowance, research grants, land acquisition, establishment of university hospital and special support for KIMS and kids, Kohat.

The VC KMU Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid and Dean Public Health Prof. Zia ul Haq also spoke on the occasion.