PHOTO: REUTERS
“Currently there are no regulations for hospitals in the country and no authority exists at the federal or provincial level to regulate the operations of hospitals and diagnostic labs. Federal health authorities led by Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar are working on the creation of such a federal health regulatory authority”, Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Muhammad Aslam said at the unveiling of a thematic calendar here, said a press release.
The thematic calendar titled “From Sunset to Sunrise: Step by Step”, was launched by the Jahan-e-Masiha Adbi Forum (JMAF) at an impressive ceremony here at a local hotel.
Dr Aslam said federal health authorities were extremely concerned about the “misuse” of the health sector by some people who were making money by playing with lives and were not being monitored or regulated by any government authority.
“No laws or regulations exist for establishing hospitals and how to run them. There is a mushroom growth of diagnostic labs and radiological centres in the country but nobody knows what type of procedures, equipment and professionals are used and employed by these diagnostic centers”, Dr Aslam said adding that by the middle of next year, a health regulatory authority would be regulating and monitoring all such health facilities throughout the country to safeguard the interests of patients.
“Following legislation regarding codes of ethics for the pharmaceutical and health sectors, laws would be enforced by DRAP and PMDC to safeguard the interests of patients”, he claimed and added that there was also a need to promote community-based pharmacies.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2016.
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