Doctors’ fees: Health authorities to keep tabs

K-P govt to restructure Health Regulatory Authority to keep a check on doctors' fees: minister

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government will restructure the Health Regulatory Authority (HRA) and empower it to keep a check on doctors’ fees.

This was stated by Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Arshad Abdullah while speaking on behalf of the health minister, who was not present in the house during a provincial assembly session on Friday.

The absence of the health minister angered members of the house, prompting Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan, who was presiding, into action.

He said that the questions were deferred due to the absence of the minister. However, Arshad Abdullah said that the provincial minister was busy in an important meeting and appointed him to speak instead.

On the private practice of doctors on administrative posts, he said the practice has been banned and the doctors are entitled to a non-practicing allowance. He added other doctors have no such restrictions, but the HRA has been directed to keep a check on the fee of doctors and clinical laboratories.

Abdullah added that the provincial government was also considering legislation to deal with deaths in private medical clinics and hospitals. He said that the ban on private practice has negatively affected the department and a majority of senior doctors have left their posts.

On the shortage of doctors in Karak District, the provincial minister said all rural areas in K-P faced shortage of doctors.

Leader of the Opposition Akram Khan Durrani proposed that the education department’s procedures be adopted by the health department to fill the deficiency of doctors in the province. He said that doctors should be appointed on contractual basis till the availability of those approved by the Provincial Service Commission.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the problem is province-wide as doctors hesitate to accept rural postings. He urged legislators to co-operate with the provincial government by refraining from making such recommendations.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.