KP to Outsource 32 More Public Hospitals

Notably, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) administration has decided to outsource another 32 underperforming public-sector hospitals to private organizations, with the latest phase anticipated to be completed by August 24.

Key points

• Eight private organizations have been shortlisted to manage 21 Category-D hospitals, five Rural Health Centers, and six Category-B and C hospitals throughout the province.
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• The Khyber Health Foundation has been outsourcing underperforming administration hospitals to private organizations with healthcare expertise since 2017.
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• KP to Add MRI and CT Scan Services to More Govt Hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Health Foundation is at present assessing the shortlisted organizations before signing final agreements. The evaluation includes their financial strength, technical capacity, and experience in managing healthcare facilities. A third-party audit is additionally being conducted to determine their suitability.

Under the new outsourcing strategy, private organizations will be required to manage hospitals in both developed and remote areas instead of receiving facilities only in relatively better-performing or urban locations.

For example, an organization assigned a hospital in Abbottabad may additionally be given responsibility for a facility in the merged tribal districts.

While the province has been divided into four regions to streamline the process, a total of 34 hospitals have been advertised for outsourcing.

Private operators will remain accountable to district administrations, district health officers, and the provincial Health Department. Their performance will be regularly assessed, and action may be taken against organizations that fail to provide satisfactory services.

Notably, the administration will provide quarterly budgets to private partners for running the hospitals. Nevertheless, the release of funds will be linked to performance assessments based on reports prepared by district administrations and health authorities.

Under the agreements, private operators will additionally be required to ensure the availability of specialist doctors, diagnostic facilities, medicines, and uninterrupted emergency services. Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital Announces High-Paying Jobs.

Hospitals will be required to have specialists including physicians, surgeons, ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, and gynecologists. Private operators will additionally be responsible for repairing faulty medical equipment without unnecessary delays.

In practice, the Khyber Health Foundation has been outsourcing underperforming administration hospitals to private organizations with healthcare expertise since 2017.

So far, 18 public hospitals have been handed over to private operators, most of them in the merged tribal districts. Once the latest phase involving 32 hospitals is completed, the number of administration hospitals operating under private management will rise to 50.

Authorities stated the outsourcing policy was introduced mainly since of inadequate facilities, staff absenteeism, and poor diagnostic services, including shortcomings in X-ray and pathology facilities.

According to the Health Foundation, hospitals outsourced during the first phase indicated improvements in patient care and service delivery, encouraging the administration to expand the model. Obtain the latest news and stories wherever you prefer.

Taken together, the developments around KP to Outsource 32 More Public Hospitals point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.