Mirza vows to strengthen primary healthcare

Dr Zafar Mirza reiterates PTI govt's commitment to universal health coverage

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Saturday reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure universal health coverage in the country, saying that the government was striving to strengthen primary healthcare system.

Chairing a meeting of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), Mirza vowed to make the federal capital a model city for healthcare facilities. He stressed that developing the healthcare sector was the need of the hour.

“It is the first time that a healthcare regulatory authority has been established in Islamabad, which was the need of the hour to develop the health sector,” he said. “The authority will regulate private hospitals, clinics and laboratories,” he added.

The IHRA is an independent regulatory authority established under the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Act, 2018. It aims to introduce and ensure provision of quality healthcare services by implementing quality standards by healthcare sector at primary, secondary and tertiary level in public and private sectors throughout the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Islamabad is the ninth largest district of the country with thousands of private clinics and medical stores operating in its jurisdiction. The authority would provide a forum for the redressal of complaints regarding the health services in the city.