Health bill drafts sought from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh

LAHORE: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to advocate generals of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding legislation to regulate the health sector in the provinces.

The bench was hearing a case regarding the appeal of the Doctors’ Hospital against the Lahore high Court order to insert Section 302 in the first information report (FIR) of Imanae Malik case.

Justice MA Shahid Siddiqi re-issued notices after a copy of the draft of the Punjab Healthcare Commission Bill 2010 was sent to the court. During the hearing, the bench was informed that Baluchistan had also provided a copy of its draft. No replies or draft copies have been received from Sindh and Khyber Paktunkhwa.

Earlier, the bench sought drafts of legislation regulating medical practice in private clinics and hospitals from all four provinces.

During the hearing, the counsel for Imanae’s father, argued that the police was not taking the trial seriously as Dr Sandeep, accused of administering a wrong injection to Imanae, and the hospital’s store keeper still remained at-large.

Responding to the counsel’s point, Justice Siddiqi said that it was a sign of apathy on the part of the police. “If the police live up to their duties,” he said, “half of the pending cases could be cleared.” Justice Jawad S Khawaja, a member of the bench, asked the counsel to move the Lahore High Court if he had any grievance against the prosecution. The bench will hold the next hearing in Islamabad on a date to be decided by the court office.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2010.