Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC)
Hospital Services at the Secondary level play a vital and complementary role to primary health care. The Government sector is engaged both in preventive and curative aspects of health care. It was realized that District Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals and Community Health Centres lack basic medical equipment and diagnostic services and have critical gaps in infrastructure. To revamp the whole system, a proposal was drafted to seek assistance from the World Bank. The WB Team visited Punjab in March, 1995, held discussions with His Excellency the Governor, the Chief Minister, the Health Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Secretaries of Line Departments. It also visited a number of medical institutions. As per their recommendations, a workshop was held to ascertain the kinds of improvement required for providing better health care facilities to the people of the State.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, organized a Workshop from 27th to 29th April, 1995 at Kharar in which 33 Senior Doctors including the Director Health Services, all Civil Surgeons, the Deputy Directors and Senior Medical Officers and senior Administrators/ Managers participated. Different groups deliberated on policy issues, surgical, medical and laboratory services and identified the categories of services to be provided at CHC, Sub-Divisional and District Hospitals including requirements in terms of staff, space, instruments and equipment. The Workshop adopted the following resolution: "The group is of the considered and genuine opinion that there should be a fully autonomous and self-sufficient Corporation named Punjab Health Systems Corporation. This Corporation should be headed by a Chairman, who shall be the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab."
The Punjab Health Systems Corporation was enacted through a special Act of Legislation to provide for the constitution of a Corporation for establishing, expanding, improving and administering medical care in the State of Punjab.The Managing Director is the Executive officer of the Corporation and implements the decisions of the Board of Directors and exercises general control and supervision over the hospitals under PHSC. There are 214 Health Institutions under PHSC, out of which are 22 District Hospitals, 41 Sub-divisional Hospitals and 151 Community Health Centers. A wide spectrum of health care facilities, preventive, promotive and curative, are provided in these institutions.