Check on fake doctors: Federal healthcare regulatory bill draft finalised

Legislation will enable govt to regulate and monitor all clinics, hospitals and laboratories, both private and public.

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) on Thursday finalised the draft of Federal Healthcare Regulations Act 2015, which aims to regulate public and private healthcare system in the capital.

Health Director General Dr Assad Hafeez said the draft would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval in a few days. He said it was prepared along the lines of Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC).

The law will be implemented in the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will enact their own laws.

The legislation will enable the government to regulate and monitor all clinics, hospitals and laboratories, both private and public.

Apart from the regulation of healthcare services, it also covers certification, quality assurance, establishment of registration board, licensing, inspections, elimination of quackery, and redressal grievance.

“The law will help quackery and other unlawful practices which have become a major source of the spread of communicable diseases like hepatitis B, C, HIV and AIDs” said Hafeez.

Under the act, a federal health regulatory authority will be established to ensure that no healthcare establishment, professional, clinic or laboratory renders any services without getting registered with the authority. It will also ensure that all healthcare professionals have registration under the Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Ordinance 1962, Pakistan Nursing council Act 1973 or the Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practitioners Act 1965.

The authority will have a registration board, technical committee to define standards, inspection teams, and investigation and legal committee.

Dr Hafeez said that the government at present has no data about the private hospitals, clinic and laboratories working in the capital. He said after the passage of the law the government would collect data to know the exact number of healthcare establishments and professional in ICT.

Talking to The Express Tribune, CDA Director Health Services (DHS) Dr Hassan Urooj said there has been a mushroom growth of private hospitals, clinics and laboratories in the city. “Currently, one does not need an NOC to open a hospital or a clinic in Islamabad. There is a need for a strong regulatory and licensing body,” he said.

He said establishing a hospital in Islamabad was easier than setting up a khokha as the latter requires a number of NOCs from various departments of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

He said the civic agency had no data to tell the exact number of private hospital, clinics and laboratories operating in Islamabad.

Dr Urooj said quackery is a major issue in the capital suburbia and acation against such hazardous practices was difficult due to lack of a legal cover.

“This law will definitely help in streamlining the entire healthcare system both in urban and rural Islamabad,” he said.

Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar said it would be landmark legislation. She said scope of the law will extend to both allopathic and alternative system of treatment including homeopathic Unani.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.