Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2024 Oct 31;25:e59. doi: 10.1017/S1463423624000549.
Primary healthcare (PHC) plays a crucial role in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare burden, especially in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). However, PHC has not received adequate attention in Pakistan despite its recognized importance. This study aims to examine the current state of PHC in Pakistan, identifying factors compromising its quality and effectiveness.
To find relevant data, the authors conducted a thorough literature search on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library from inception till 2 July 2022, without any language restriction. The following keywords were employed during the literature search, separated by Boolean operators AND, OR: "Primary Healthcare", "PHC", "Healthcare primary", "Primary Health", and "Pakistan".
Pakistan's PHC infrastructure shows promise, with a considerable number of healthcare facilities in place. However, various factors hinder its effectiveness and compromise the quality of care provided. Insufficient investment, resource constraints, inadequate training of healthcare providers, lack of oversight, and limited access to essential medicines and equipment are some of the key challenges observed. Improving PHC in Pakistan is vital for addressing the population's healthcare needs, particularly in rural areas. Adequate investment, enhanced training programs, improved oversight mechanisms, and increased availability of essential resources are necessary to strengthen the PHC system. By prioritizing PHC and addressing the identified challenges, Pakistan can enhance healthcare access, reduce healthcare burden, and improve overall health outcomes for its population.
It is high time LMICs like Pakistan recognize PHC as the most economically feasible pathway toward accomplishing healthcare targets and adopt adequate measures to elevate its standards.
初级医疗保健（PHC）在改善健康结果和减轻医疗负担方面发挥着至关重要的作用，尤其是在中低收入国家（LMICs）。然而，尽管巴基斯坦认识到其重要性，但 PHC 并未得到足够的重视。本研究旨在考察巴基斯坦目前的 PHC 状况，确定影响其质量和效果的因素。
为了找到相关数据，作者在 PubMed、Google Scholar 和 Cochrane Library 上进行了全面的文献检索，检索时间从建库开始到 2022 年 7 月 2 日，没有语言限制。文献检索时使用了以下关键词，并用布尔运算符 AND、OR 分隔：“Primary Healthcare”、“PHC”、“Healthcare primary”、“Primary Health”和“Pakistan”。
巴基斯坦的 PHC 基础设施前景看好，有相当数量的医疗保健设施。然而，各种因素影响其效果，并影响所提供的医疗服务质量。观察到的主要挑战包括投资不足、资源限制、医疗服务提供者培训不足、缺乏监督以及基本药物和设备的获取有限。改善巴基斯坦的 PHC 对于满足人口的医疗保健需求至关重要，特别是在农村地区。需要足够的投资、加强培训计划、改进监督机制以及增加基本资源的供应，以加强 PHC 系统。通过优先考虑 PHC 并解决所确定的挑战，巴基斯坦可以提高医疗保健的可及性、减轻医疗负担，并改善其人口的整体健康结果。
中低收入国家，如巴基斯坦，应认识到 PHC 是实现医疗保健目标的最具成本效益的途径，并采取适当措施提高其标准。
