KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said the Ministry of Public Health’s role was crucial in overseeing and assessing activities of organisations working in the health sector.

A statement from the Presidential Palace said the president was addressing a gathering aimed at improving the situation of healthcare services in the country.

Public Health Minister Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz, senior health officials, World Bank country director, USAID officials and the European Union ambassador to Afghanistan were present at the gathering.

The gathering discussed how to improve the situation of health services in the country including bringing into effect an ambitious 10-year drive to provide better healthcare services to mothers and newborns.

Keeping in view the reward and punishment system, the Public Health Ministry’s role in keenly observing activities of health services providing organisations and in making available better health services over the next four years and then 10 years was discussed.

The gathering stressed the preparation of a complete strategy on improved health services and devising a mechanism to provide health facilities in Kabul in line with the city’s populations.

At the gathering, proposals and recommendations were floated on how to maintain proper attention toward continued health programmes and introduction of health insurance policy between the Public Health Ministry and the National Directorate of Security as a pilot experiment.

President Ghani insisted on the Public Health Ministry’s role in observing activities of health services providing organizations and issued necessary directives in this regard, the statement concluded. (Pajhwok)