NA Panel: Health ministry working to regulate medical fees

New legislation aims to make treatment at private facilities more affordable

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to better regulate fees charged by private medical practitioners and other medical services, the health ministry is preparing to introduce a new law, a parliamentary panel was told on Thursday.

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination informed a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on health about this on Thursday as a similar bill was tabled by an MNA.

The committee, chaired by Khalid Hussain Magsi, considered the Medical Consultancy and Other Services (Rationalisation of Fees) Bill, moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan.

Dr Khan was of the view that fees of private medical practitioners and other medical services all over the country were fast becoming too expensive for the average citizen and needed to be rationalised. There is no mechanism to regulate private practice, the MNA said, and the same doctors charge different fees at different hospitals.

The bill aimed at setting up a committee comprising the chairmen of the National Assembly and Senate standing committees on health, and other representatives to bring uniformity in the fees of doctors and various labs tests.

But Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar said that an identical bill had been drafted by the ministry and was in the process of approval. The committee then decided that the new bill should either be put aside or integrated into the government’s bill.

However, the minister pointed out that after devolution under the 18th Amendment, the federal ministry’s mandate has been limited to federal capital, so the legislation, even if it is passed, could only be enforced in Islamabad Capital Territory.

The committee also had divided views on capping consultancy fees for doctors.  The committee also considered the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, moved by Dr Fouzia Hameed.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2016.