LAHORE: Punjab Healthcare Commission Chairperson retired Justice Aamer Raza Khan inaugurated on Saturday a consultative workshop and shared draft for Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) for category II healthcare establishments with experts of medical profession working in relevant areas.

The workshop was held to invite inputs from stakeholders for improving the MSDS draft developed by the PHC for category-II healthcare establishments that included poly-clinics and small hospitals having less than 50 beds.

The chairperson highlighted the importance of regulatory initiative of the PHC with reference to the development and implementation of minimum standards of healthcare at different categories of healthcare establishments.

He said the implementation of standards in all healthcare establishments across the spectrum was the only way of ensuring that medical services being availed by all, including those who were less privileged or deprived, were also safe.

He affirmed commitment of the Commission towards its objective of improving the quality of healthcare services in Punjab, both in public and private sector hospitals.

PHC Chief Operating Officer Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan said the MSDS draft was developed after an elaborate consultative process and reflected realities associated with healthcare services as they existed on ground.

He said the reason behind holding the workshop was to provide stakeholders an opportunity to review the MSDS draft and render their valuable inputs so that these could be incorporated in the standards before submission to the government for approval and an official notification.

Apart from senior members of the PHC, the workshop was attended by the EDOs from Khushab, Chakwal and Sialkot; medical professionals; and selected owners and managers of Category II healthcare establishments in Punjab.

The participants gave their feedback on contents of the MSDS draft and endorsed the PHC efforts for improvement in healthcare service delivery.