F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: A high profile 3rd and final District Advocacy Forum (DAF) for Health meeting under the DFID/Palladium Funded/CUP Implemented Community Score Card Project was held in Charsadda which was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner Charsadda to review the “agreed action plans” developed between the user communities and the BHUs management for the improvement of primary healthcare services in District Charsadda after the third Community Score Card (CSC).
The Chief Guest, Mr. Muntazer Shah, Deputy Commissioner Charsadda appreciated the remarkable results of the innovation implemented by CUP Pakistan and commended the CSC participatory methodology for improving health service delivery by bringing together all relevant stakeholders face to face to identify and resolve issues related to their Primary Health Care needs in Basic Health Units (BHU) of Charsadda in a short span of time.
CUP has been a catalyst in evolving an innovative yet simple mechanism that empowers user communities and amplifies their voices.
The CSC effective monitoring methodology is already making significant inroads in improving Primary Health Care Services in all 43 BHU’s of Charsadda in the shape of efficient utilization of funds, tapping of funding streams from district government representatives and other sources, improvement in governance and prompt resolution of healthcare issues at the facility level, resulting in satisfied communities, he further said.
Colonel Iftikhar Ur Rahman, the Chief Executive of Community Uplift Program (CUP) Pakistan explained that the aim of the “District Advocacy Forum” is to provide sustainability to the CSC process and monitor the implementation of the agreed action plans at facility level (BHU’s) accruing out of the joint interface meetings between the user community activists and the service facility (BHU) staff, endorsed by the DHO and provide support to the implementation of the agreed action plans for the improvement of primary healthcare service delivery by allocation of resources and services.
Responding to the key issues/recommendations highlighted in the agreed action plans regarding the lack of basic health facilities in Basic Health Units (BHU’s) in Charsadda like absence of labor room facility, shortage and non-availability of essential medicines, non-availability of outreach services and absence of quality Anti Natal/Post Natal services etc. The District Health Officer Charsadda Dr. Naik Nawaz Khan said that all out efforts are being made to address these remaining issues and assured that the situation will further improve by boosting up the supply of medicines and equipment through Integrated Health Project funding and efficient use of existing allocated resources.
The meeting was well attended by all key district stakeholders of Charsadda including Members Provincial Assembly, District Health Officer, Deputy DHO, District Member & Chairman Health Monitoring Committee (Elected LG Members), Mufti Charsadda (Representative of Religious Leaders in District), Representatives of Local Media, Dynamic Lead Activists trained by CUP (Representatives of Community), Notables (Members of bodies related to Healthcare), Representatives of NGOs/CBOs working for improvement in Healthcare, Representative of Independent Monitoring Unit of Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and CUP Pakistan Team.
The Community lead activists representing the 93,800 Users of Primary Healthcare in the catchment areas of 43 BHUs of District Charsadda commended the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Health Department, the District Health Office, the District Administration and the elected MPAs and Local Government Office Bearers for creating an enabling environment for Community Uplift Program (CUP) Pakistan to introduce the Community Score Card and involving us for the very first time in joint action planning to address the identified issues that affect us.
