Empaneled public and private health facilities will provide outpatient health services under the new outpatient scheme. In order to understand the readiness of these health facilities to provide these services, the qualitative working group of INSPIRE Pakistan interviewed medical officers in 12 public and 6 private health facilities in Mardan district, which will be empaneled under the scheme.
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Official Launch of the OPD Outpatient Scheme: Soft Launch Event in Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government formally launched free Outpatient Department (OPD) services under the Sehat Card Plus program on February 19, 2025, which marks an important milestone for our research consortium.
Continue readingPopulation Panel: Final Survey Wave Before Scheme Start Successfully Completed
The latest wave of data collection for the population panel represents a significant achievement in understanding the needs and characteristics of beneficiaries under the OPD scheme. An unexpected change in the eligibility criteria for the planned outpatient scheme required our research consortium to update our sample in line with these new criteria. The KMU, FAU and H-BRS teams made this milestone possible through the efficient coordination and mobilization of resources, even without initially budgeting for this major effort.
Continue readingBridging Healthcare Gaps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Insights from a recent publication
For our research, understanding the barriers that prevent equitable access to healthcare is crucial. A recent study, conducted as part of our collaborative research consortium, sheds light on the challenges faced by the poorest communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, especially regarding primary healthcare access. In October 2024, the study was published in the International Journal of Equity in Health, a renowned and peer-reviewed public health journal.
Continue readingA Step Forward – Contract for OPD Pilot Project Signed with SLIC
On October 24, 2024, the Social Health Protection (SHP) Program, KfW Development Bank, and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC) formalised their collaboration with the signing of a contract to launch the Outpatient Department (OPD) Pilot Project. This event marks a critical step in a long period of preparation and negotiation and the official beginning of this important initiative.
Continue readingNew evidence on changes in outpatient-care utilisation and out-of-pocket expenditures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
The most recent wave of the household panel survey which is organised by the population panel working group of our research consortium provides interesting new insights on rising healthcare costs and how they impacted health care utilization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.
Continue readingResearch symposium on social health protection in Peshawar, Pakistan
On May 2, 2024, our research consortium organized a symposium entitled “Strengthening Social Health Protection in Pakistan – Emerging Evidence and the Way Forward”, held at Khyber Medical University. It served as a significant platform for diverse participants from academia as well as policy and practice to converge and discuss the multifaceted landscape of social health protection research and policy in Pakistan (Symposium program). Symposium program
Continue readingLaunch of SHPI Research Phase 2024-25
The launch of the SHPI Research Phase 2024-25 on the 26th of February, 2024 was marked by the presence of key program stakeholders involved in the KfW Implementation Research Project. Dr. Zohaib from Khyber Medical University (KMU) set the tone with welcoming remarks, initiating a round of introductions among the attendees.
Continue readingConsultative meeting with SHPI-II stakeholders to prepare next phase of research
On December 14th, 2023, a gathering of the research consortium and program stakeholders in Islamabad, Pakistan, marked a significant step towards preparing for the next phase of our research. The Consultative Meeting on the KFW Implementation Research Project brought together representatives from the Social Health Protection Initiative (SHPI), the German Development Bank (KfW), management4health (M4H), Khyber Medical University (KMU), Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Heidelberg Institute for Global Health (HIGH), united by a common goal: strengthening collaboration for improving healthcare delivery and access, through the upcoming OPC (Outpatient Care) scheme.
Continue readingPopulation panel in Pakistan to prepare for an upcoming in-person data collection
For approximately two weeks, the population panel team convened in Pakistan, to lay the groundwork for the upcoming in-person data collection, of the 4th wave of the household panel. The activities were joined with training and preparations for the 1st wave of the extended household survey by the DEval team.
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