KARACHI, June 9: Despite the fact that those at the helm of affairs in the Sindh government have time and again shown a great interest in the enactment of laws to regulate and control private hospitals, nothing tangible has been done in this regard. As a result, the majority of private health-care facilities remain a source of concern for many patients and their relatives.

Government officials, however, confirm that a draft ordinance aimed at the safe operation of private sector hospitals, including teaching and charity ones, has been developed after consultations with the stakeholders and guidance from the high-ups in the government. But the promulgation of this ordinance is awaited by the Sindh governor.

A revised draft of the health control ordinance was approved by the chief minister in the last week of January this year, but it is not known why the brakes were put on the promulgation plan again, said a senior health official.

About three months back the provincial Health Minister, Syed Sardar Ahmad, had said that an ordinance meant to regulate the business of hospitals in the private sector would be promulgated soon.

Talking to newsmen at the time, he said there was a dire need to have some legal provisions in place in the case of private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres in the province as complaints about their unethical and unsafe operations were on the rise. But, he added, the government was not in a position to initiate any legal action against them in the absence of a relevant law.

At present there is no system for registering private hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres in the province.

Under the proposed ordinance an accreditation and licensing authority was to be set up in Sindh for hospitals, clinics, laboratories, physiotherapy centres, pathologists, nursing homes, maternity homes, diagnostic clinics and other health providers, including hakims.

It is said that the body will be autonomous and regulate privately run health-care facilities, besides evaluating the organisations’ performances in areas that affect patient care. As per the last draft approved by the chief minister and sent to the Governor’s House in January, the authority will be headquartered in Karachi and will be headed by a chairman, who will be nominated from the private sector by the chief minister.

The health department of the Karachi city government some months back had planned to move the City Council for allowing it to start the registration of private hospitals and make them liable to meet a minimum standard for safe operations. But that, too, has not materialised so far.

The quarters concerned, including professionals, say that the proposed regulation is of critical importance to formulate and implement certain standards for quality assurance in private sector health-care facilities and link those to the cost being charged from patients.

According to insiders, the enthusiasm for the regulation seen earlier among the authorities have perhaps now waned as the private sector hospitals did not appreciate the idea of regulation, which was introduced by the chief minister in 2004.