Hospital standards: ‘Health providers must register themselves’

Punjab Healthcare Commission publishes rules to register health units.

LAHORE:

Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has published the draft rules to register and monitor health establishments.

The rules aim to ensure the maintenance of minimum service standards.

All healthcare establishments are required to be registered with and licensed by the PHC in lieu of the Public Healthcare Commission Act (PHCA) 2010.  The PHC is empowered to decide the appropriate manner to pursue the licensing.

The PHC shall issue regular licenses for five years on compliance with Minimum Service Delivery Standards. Healthcare establishments are required to submit provisional licensing applications, including the details of all health staff, who will be registered under PHCA 2010. Upon meeting PHC criterion, the establishment must request the PHC to inspect the premises. If standards are not met, the PHC may issue a conditional licence. If standards are met, the PHC will issue a regular license valid for five years. The licence will be non-transferable and valid for a specific premises named. One must re-apply for a licence if the ownership structure changes by over 50 per cent.

The PHC is empowered to suspend, revoke or decline to renew a licence and impose a fine not more than Rs500,000 upon inspecting the premises or being reported repeated cases of medical negligence. The investigation of a complaint can be reviewed and forwarded to the Board of Commissioners on the recommendation of inspection team’s leader.

The rules have been published in the Gazette of Punjab and displayed on the website of Punjab Healthcare Commission (www.phc.org.pk). The rules will apply to all public and private health establishments, including hospitals, clinics and dispensaries.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2012.