SWAT: Commissioner Malakand Division Iqbal Hussain Baacha has directed strict administrative monitoring, resource verification and accountability across the division’s healthcare network.
He issued the directives while chairing a high-level meeting attended by District Monitoring Officers (DMOs) of the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU), along with Health and Regional Information Officers. The meeting focused on implementing systemic reforms to improve public service delivery.
The Commissioner directed all DMOs to submit comprehensive monitoring data for every health facility in Malakand Division within one week, strictly according to the proforma approved by the provincial government.
DMOs were also instructed to submit detailed reports verifying medicine stocks, hospital budgets allocated to Medical Superintendents and the procurement of medical equipment. The verification process will include confirmation of valid purchase certificates and documentation of all operational machinery requiring electricity.
To strengthen coordination, all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) were directed to hold District Health Steering Committee meetings on the 20th of every month. The meetings will be conducted in coordination with the Commissioner’s Office, with online meeting links shared directly with the office.
The Commissioner placed particular emphasis on staff accountability and directed Deputy Commissioners to ensure regular monitoring and recording of attendance by health personnel. Officials found absent without authorization will face disciplinary action, including stoppage of salary where applicable under the rules.
All DMOs were further instructed to personally visit healthcare facilities within their respective jurisdictions to assess service delivery and staff performance.
The performance of monitoring officers will also be evaluated continuously, based on the effectiveness of their oversight, accuracy of reporting and action taken against negligent staff.
The Commissioner stressed that there would be no compromise on health department performance, monitoring or service delivery. He warned that inaccurate, incomplete or non-transparent reporting would be taken seriously and responsibility for discrepancies would be fixed accordingly.
To streamline data collection, Tauqeer Abbasi, Divisional Monitoring Officer of IMU Health Malakand Division, was designated as the Divisional Focal Person.
He has been tasked with developing a centralized Google Form within one week to collect required information from all DMOs across the division. The consolidated data will then be securely submitted to the Commissioner’s Office via email for official review.