The private health facilities in capital are looting people without fear but the regulatory authority has yet to become functional , senators said on Friday.
Expressing concern over unchecked growth of hospitals, clinics and even quacks in the capital, the Senate Standing Committee on Health called for making functional the Islamabad Health Regulatory Authority.
Moreover, the issue of appointment s against rules and regulations at health institutions in Islamabad also came under discussion during the meeting chaired by Senator Khushbakht Shujaat.
The issue of Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority was under consideration in the meeting. Senator Javed Abbasi said that there was a mushroom growth of private hospitals and clinics in Islamabad, but there was no institution to regulate them.
Private clinics and hospitals are looting and plundering the people in the name of healthcare but no one is asking them any questions, Senator Abbasi said.
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PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority has been constituted along with its board. He agreed that there has been a delay in the functioning of the authority.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services said that the authority was facing budget problems to activate it. On June 29, the government released Rs135 million for the authority and on the same day, the financial year ended.
He said that currently he is the only employee of the authority; the budget proposals of the authority have just been received.
The Senate committee members said that the authority was formed two years ago and the laws made subsequently. However, the government could not implement the laws in two years, which was the biggest misfortune.
Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen apprised the committee that there have been large-scale irregularities in major government hospitals and public health sector in Islamabad. People have been on deputation for a long time and no one is asking any questions, he said.
Expressing deep concern over the figures given by the ministry the committee members said they need more details.
Senator Tareen presented before the committee the details including the names of the people appointed against rules and regulations at the public hospitals and healthcare facilities of the Capital.
Tareen said that junior officers were being promoted to important posts and senior officers were being ignored against the rules, at this the committee directed the Ministry of National Health Service to provide all details within a week.
Tareen alleged that corruption was rife at health institutions especially in Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP). He also demanded the formation of a sub-committee to investigate.
Responding to a question from Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Extended Programme for Immunisation (EPI) officials said that more than 8,000 hospitals provide free vaccination services across the country while mobile units for remote areas of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan were also vaccinating children.
Officials said the infrastructure is being expanded to include more children in the network and to facilitate the public at a nearby location. The committee was also briefed on the survey, which will begin in mid-September, and said that the survey would provide up-to-date data for better coverage.
The committee was also briefed on the entire process of immunisation.
Friday’s meeting was attended by Senators Dr Ashok Kumar, Dr Asad Ashraf, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Sana Jamali, Sardar Mohammad Shafiq Tareen, Ghous Mohammad Khan Niazi, Mohammad Javed Abbasi, Dilawar Khan, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Behra Mand Khan Tangi, Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, ministry of national health services, officials and concerned officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2020.
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