Lahore School of Economics

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Using Information Communication Technology (ICT) to improve health worker performance in Punjab, Pakistan
March 21, 2013

Pakistan has a large and dispersed primary public health system, which provides citizens access to trained doctors and staff, and to subsidized medicines. Despite the existence of this system, both the use of the facilities and health outcomes remain low. Improvements in Information Communications

Dr. Ali Hasanain

Technology (ICT) provide exciting opportunities to leverage technology to improve management. This paper presents a detailed qualitative and quantitative look at the institutional context in which such interventions in the public health sector in Punjab would be trialed in. First, we describe the structure and management of primary healthcare facilities. Next, we describe selected results from a survey of a representative sample of Basic Health Units (BHUs), and identify some key issues. Then, we report officials’ responses to the question of how services might be improved. Finally, we discuss some of these responses and conclude.

About the presenter:

Dr. Ali Hasanain is an Assistant Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) working in the areas of service delivery and corruption. He is co-PI on projects that develop and implement technological innovations for management improvements in the health, livestock and citizen feedback areas. He served for two years as Team Leader for South Asia for a Global Development Network project on Water Use, and has been an invited speaker at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Growth Center (IGC) and GDN events. Before joining LUMS, he was at the Lahore School of Economics after completing his PhD in 2010 at George Mason University.

Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy