ISLAMABAD: After receiving a number of complaints, the government will now be regulating private medical practices, National Health Services (NHS) Minister Saira Afzal Tarar told the Senate on Tuesday.
She said a bill titled ‘Federal Health Regulatory Authority’ has been drafted for this purpose and will be tabled in parliament soon.
However, during question hour, the NHS minister said there were no federal laws for regulating private medical practices.
“The Punjab government is regulating private practice via the Punjab Healthcare Commission,” she said.
Most of the complaints were from patients who had been over charged at private hospitals and clinics and many non-government organisations have also demanded time and again for private medical practices to be regulated.
Such doctors also do not pay taxes on the fees they collect as there is no mechanism for keeping a check on them.
“According to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Ordinance 1962, doctors are to charge fees according to the quality of services they provided but a number of private hospitals charge too much,” the NHS minister said.
Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2016
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