Dispensers’ Plea: Judge reserves verdict on allowing dispensers to open clinics
DAG opposed petitioner’s plea, saying if dispensers were allowed to set up clinics, innocent people would die.
LAHORE:
Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday reserved his verdict on a petition seeking permission for qualified public hospital dispensers to open private clinics.
The petition was filed by the Punjab Association of Dispensers through its secretary Ghaus Muhammad.
Earlier, a deputy attorney general (DAG) opposed the petitioner’s plea, saying that if dispensers were allowed to set up clinics, innocent people would die.
The assistant advocate general said that dispensers could not be permitted to run clinics.
The Punjab Health Commission has been established and a summary to abolish the Punjab Health Acts of 1962 and 1968, which allowed dispensers to practise, has already been sent to the chief minister, he said.
During the hearing, Justice Farrukh Irfan observed, “A dispenser cannot be declared a doctor, even if he has 40 years of service.” The judge also remarked that it was the responsibility of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to curb illegal clinical practices by dispensers, adding that it had failed to do so. Petitioner Ghaus, through his counsel, requested the court to permit dispensers to open clinics because they had a four-year diploma in medicine. Dr Salman Kazmi, the Young Doctors Association joint secretary; Dr Tariq Mehmood Mian, the Family Physician Association president; and Dr Aftab Iqbal appeared before the court and said that according to the Healthcare Act 2010, health service providers had been defined as including the homeopathic council, tib council and nursing council. They said that the act did not mention dispensers.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.
Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday reserved his verdict on a petition seeking permission for qualified public hospital dispensers to open private clinics.
The petition was filed by the Punjab Association of Dispensers through its secretary Ghaus Muhammad.
Earlier, a deputy attorney general (DAG) opposed the petitioner’s plea, saying that if dispensers were allowed to set up clinics, innocent people would die.
The assistant advocate general said that dispensers could not be permitted to run clinics.
The Punjab Health Commission has been established and a summary to abolish the Punjab Health Acts of 1962 and 1968, which allowed dispensers to practise, has already been sent to the chief minister, he said.
During the hearing, Justice Farrukh Irfan observed, “A dispenser cannot be declared a doctor, even if he has 40 years of service.” The judge also remarked that it was the responsibility of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to curb illegal clinical practices by dispensers, adding that it had failed to do so. Petitioner Ghaus, through his counsel, requested the court to permit dispensers to open clinics because they had a four-year diploma in medicine. Dr Salman Kazmi, the Young Doctors Association joint secretary; Dr Tariq Mehmood Mian, the Family Physician Association president; and Dr Aftab Iqbal appeared before the court and said that according to the Healthcare Act 2010, health service providers had been defined as including the homeopathic council, tib council and nursing council. They said that the act did not mention dispensers.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.