Department of Health, Government of Balochistan (Pakistan)

Departmental Functions
The department of health has several function and manifold responsibilities to improve the health standard, throughout the province of Balochistan. Functions of health department include delivery of health care services, health planning, management and development, development of human resource and regulatory functions.
Delivery of Health care services includes preventive, curative and special services. Preventive program such as EPI, MCP, TB Control Program, HIV/AID controls program, Leprosy Control Program, MCH Program, National Program for FP&PHC, Polio Eradication Initiatives (PEI) etc. are being run by the health department.
Curative services are provided at the secondary and tertiary level in multiple specialties. Under special services; emergency and disaster services, medico-legal services and referral care are include.
In health planning, management and development, the health department proposes a provincial health policy which is implemented after approval, a Health Management Information System (HMIS) exist, the function of which is to retrieve and store data from reports and survey. Planning for various interventions is done, both at macro and micro level. Coordination is an important function of health department; it is performed at various levels with the federal Government, International Agencies as well as there is intra and inters department coordination. Research is done for health care planning, management and human resource development. Another vital function the health department performs is human resource development, in which need identification is done, in-service training for health staff and assessment of quality and regulatory affairs of formal training. Training is provided, both at pre-service level and in-service level. The pre-service level institutions are Bolan medical College, Multipurpose Training School, Public Health School and Nursing Schools. In-service training institutes are the postgraduate Medical Institute, Institute of Public Health, Midwifery Training Schools, the provincial and district Health Development Center. Training cover a wide range of topics, some example are training for preventive program, project training, training sponsored by International agencies for doctors and paramedics.
Slots from federal Government for foreign Training also exist for the province, and from time to time health staffs are nominated for long / short courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, to represent the department of health.
Regulatory functions of the health department include; developing and strengthening regulatory framework to standardize. Health care services like: Balochistan Hospital Regulatory Authority Act. Balochistan Clinical Laboratory Authorities Act, Safe Blood Transfusion Act of Balochistan. Enforcing Regulation of the above mentioned Acts. Drug Act for sale and quality of medicines. Food and water regulation and standard, environmental occupational health.
Health Department also arranges special program / project with international agencies like the women health project in collaboration with ADB. The Reproductive Health Project with ADB and UNFPA. HIV / AIDS Control Program with the World Bank. An Isolation Ward has been established in FJ Chest & General Hospital. Quetta for patients of Congo virus Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). During the year 2004 several medical camps have been held in collaboration with Pakistan Army. Health Department has taken steps to eradicate polio through the polio eradication initiative (PEI), which started in 1994, and total NIDs to date are 49.
The provincial offices functioning at Quetta are the Provincial Health Directorate. Expanded program on Immunization (EPI). Malaria Control Program (MCP). HRD / PHDC, Govt. Public Analyst. Food Laboratory, Drug Testing Laboratory, Govt. Medical Store Depot (MSD). Leprosy and blindness Control Program. HIV / AIDS, TB Control Program, Women Health Project, National Program for FP & PHC. Reproductive Health Project, Drug and Quality Control Program, Office of Chief Planning officer, planning cell, Managing Director Health Foundation and MNCH Program. Another Important feature is the maintenance of Vital Health, statistics and under special services, there is provision of medical and health services for provincial Government employees.