Soon Times Correspondent
______________________LAHORE: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have bolstered efforts to increase birth registration through the NADRA-P&SHD joint initiative. The P&SHD has taken a revolutionary step by integrating birth and death Registration across Punjab. The PSHD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NADRA to facilitate this integration at all Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) in the province.
______________________LAHORE: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have bolstered efforts to increase birth registration through the NADRA-P&SHD joint initiative. The P&SHD has taken a revolutionary step by integrating birth and death Registration across Punjab. The PSHD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NADRA to facilitate this integration at all Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) in the province.
The signing ceremony was held on Thursday at the PSHD committee room, 1-Birdwood Road, Lahore. The Minister for P&SHD Khwaja Imran Nazir, Special Secretary (Ops) Muhammad Iqbal, and the Director of NADRA, Col. (Retd.) Saqib Mehmood signed the accord.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for PSHD Khawaja Imran Nazir stated that digitalizing birth and death records at the primary healthcare level is a significant milestone for PSHD. Punjab is the only province sharing this data directly with NADRA, allowing citizens to obtain birth certificates promptly. Nazir emphasized the role of Lady Health Workers (LHW) in raising awareness among citizens. The digitization initiative, which includes record sharing with NADRA, will facilitate a paperless system. Nazir also announced that government hospitals now maintain digital records for all patients, including those in outpatient departments (OPD) and pediatric wards. He highlighted that these digital records will enable the development of better strategies for understanding the causes, factors, and prevention of diseases. Integrating data with the local government and the community development department for birth and death certification will enhance the immunization coverage of newborns, particularly in underserved and lagging areas, thereby improving healthcare facilities in these regions.
On this occasion, Director NADRA, Saqib Mehmood, emphasized the importance of digitizing birth and death data for future digital censuses. He commended the Department of Health for its efforts in digitizing patient records in government hospitals, recognizing the significant impact this initiative will have on improving healthcare services and data accuracy.
Earlier, Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Gondal, DGHS, appreciated the efforts of PSPU and NADRA in achieving NHSP’s goals. He reiterated NHSP’s commitment to increasing access to quality health services for poor and vulnerable households in Punjab. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Provincial Minister and Secretary PSHD, Ali Jan, in enhancing primary healthcare service delivery across Punjab. He thanked the Chief Minister of Punjab for his unwavering support of the primary healthcare department.
The ceremony was attended by DG Health Services (DGHS), Dr Muhammad Ilyas Gondal, Special Secretary (Ops), M. Iqbal, Additional Secretary (Tech.) Dr M. Younas, Director, Director for the Policy and Strategic Planning Unit (PSPU), Muhammad Ahmed Khan, Director of Project NADRA, Col. Saqib Mehmood, and other officials.
