08-08-2012, 12:13 PM
The Health Care Delivery System Provided by PHSC Punjab - Punjab Health Systems Corporation
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Introduction
Hospital services at secondary level play a vital and complimentary role to the tertiary and primary
health care systems and together form a comprehensive district based health care system.
It was observed that in the state of Punjab, District Hospitals, Sub-divisional Hospitals and
Community Health Centres were having critical gaps in buildings, equipment, manpower, and skills
and were unable to provide basic health care services. With an objective to improve effi ciency
and quality of the health care provided at fi rst referral level hospitals, the State Government took
an initiative to prepare a proposal for seeking aid from the World Bank.
On the request of the State Government, the World Bank team visited the State in March 1995
to review preparation and pre-appraisal of the proposal for the “Health Systems Development
Project-II”. On March 21st, 1996, the International Development Association (IDA) approved
credit of SDR 235.5 million (US$350 million equivalent) under the multi-states Health Systems
Development Project for implementation in the States of Karnataka, Punjab and West Bengal.
The Development Credit Agreement and the Project Agreements were signed on April 18, 1996 on
behalf of the Government of India and respective states. Thus, Punjab Health Systems Corporation
was incorporated through enactment of Legislative act “The Punjab Health Systems Corporation
Act, 1996 (Punjab Act No. 6 of 1996)”.
Rationale
As mentioned above, the Health Systems Development Project started under PHSC in 1996 with
fi nancial assistance from World Bank and concluded in the year 2002. Since then Government
of Punjab is supervising it through a duly constituted corporation i.e. Punjab Health Systems
Corporation (PHSC).
The present study was conducted with the aim of reviewing as to how far the objective of this
Project (HSDP II) has been achieved in improving health care delivery at the secondary level of
health care. Also to bring to light any lacunae or gaps observed in delivering the health care
services to the community. The study is an In-depth review of the Punjab Health System by the
Review Committee constituted for the purpose.
Structural and Operational Framework of Punjab Health
Systems Corporation (PHSC)
A review of structural, organisational and operational framework of Punjab Health Systems
Corporation (PHSC) was carried out. The detailed fi ndings are as follows:
The World Bank team on the request of the State Government visited the State in March-95
to review preparation and pre-appraisal of the proposal for the “Health Systems Development
Project-II”. Thus, Punjab Health Systems Corporation had been incorporated through enactment
of Legislative act “The Punjab Health Systems Corporation Act, 1996 (Punjab Act No. 6 of 1996)’.
The Corporation has been incorporated through measures by the State Government of Punjab to
bring more administrative fl exibility for implementation with assistance of World Bank to upgrade
Health Services at secondary level.
The PHSC was incorporated on October 20, 1995 to establish, expand, improve and administer
medical care at secondary level of health care services. The project activities were undertaken by
the PHSC and the State Government has ensured that PHSC should function as an autonomous
body. For its effective implementation, a Strategic Planning Cell is functioning under the overall
supervision of the MD, PHSC-cum-Secretary Health.
Under this project, PHSC had taken over 166 Institutions, which includes District Hospitals, Subdivisional
Hospitals and Community Health Centres. 86 Medical Institutions are situated in rural
areas and 80 are in urban areas. Two training institutes viz. State Institute of Health and Family
Welfare, Mohali and State Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences, Badal, Distt. Mukatsar
have also been constructed and were included under PHSC institutions.