Joint committee to ensure timely medicines’ delivery

KABUL (Pajhwok): A joint committee will be set up to ensure medicines and essential medical supplies timely reach health centres across the country, an official announced on Sunday.

The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICE) representative Dr. Tajuddin Oyela made the announcement at a meeting with Minister of Public Health Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said.

A statement from the ministry said the meeting focused on various issues, including the quality of health services provided by implementing partners, standard of medicines, timely delivery of pharmaceuticals to hospitals and health centres, joint monitoring and evaluation of health services, capacity building of healthcare workers and the rehabilitation of health facilities.

Minister Jalali stressed the importance of transparency in service delivery and emphasized that serious action must be taken against health centres that did not receive medicines on time.

He also called for transparency in the selection of implementing partners, stating that all organisations must be chosen based on transparency and effective performance. Institutions that fail to provide efficient services should not be allowed to operate in the health sector, he added.

UNICEF’s country representative said the organisation was committed to improving the quality of services delivered by its implementing partners and would work jointly with the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen monitoring and ensure service quality.

He announced the formation of a joint committee to assess the medical needs of all hospitals and health centres and ensure timely delivery of medicines and other essential supplies.

kk/ma