“The bill ensures not only the rights of doctors but of patients as well. It will be a comprehensive set of health reforms which will improve quality of healthcare services and ban quackery in Sindh,” said Dr Samrina Hashmi, the Pakistan Medical Association Sindh President, and Dr Muhammad Umar Farooq, the pro vice chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences.
Highlighting salient features of the bill, they said that it shall be applicable on public, private, non-profit organisations, charitable hospitals, trust hospitals, semi and autonomous healthcare organisations without any discrimination.
The law will set responsibilities of doctors and patients and make it possible to inspect, audit and investigate health facilities.
Dr Hashmi said that FIRs were being registered against healthcare personnel without proper investigation by police and relatives of patients. “A doctor should only be punished if found guilty.”
The representatives of medical community were assured by Sindh Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro that the bill would be tabled in the provincial assembly in its upcoming session. The PMA leaders also held meetings with Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed, to discuss the importance of the bill.
Dr Farooq said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had taken notice of the serious issues of the doctors. “We perform our duties in very critical conditions and are not paid much but such a hostile environment will compel good doctors to leave the country,” he said. “Doctors and paramedics are beaten up by patients and hospital equipment is also damaged.”
The senior doctors also criticised the attitude of law enforcing agencies. “Sindh IG Police directed that no FIR would be registered against health professionals without being investigated by an officer of SP level - but the notification which was issued in October 2011 is being ignored,” said Dr Hashmi. “There must be a clear distinction between complications, medical error and negligence and a junior officer like an SHO can’t investigate such technical matters.” Quoting an example in Punjab, the doctors claimed that such a bill became an Act in Punjab in November 2010, reducing acts of violence against health professionals. A copy on the Health Commission Bill has been handed over to the provincial government
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ