LAHORE, Nov 9: The treasury introduced a bill in the Punjab Assembly on Monday to set up a Healthcare Commission and appoint a health ombudsman to take up and redress public complaints regarding healthcare services.

The commission will oversee health service organisational standards, clinical governance, patients’ rights and responsibilities, inspection, audit and investigation, supporting capacity strengthening and promoting effective and efficient resource use, says the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

Under the proposed law, the commission will have powers of cognizance of violation and fine up to Rs5 million on healthcare providers and order closure of the facility if it is found to be dangerous or detrimental to any person, unsuitable and shows another instance of maladministration, malpractice or failure in the provision of healthcare services.

The inspectors appointed by the commission may enter any health-related facility even without warrants and the person hindering them shall be liable to up to Rs5 million fine.

The ombudsman may undertake investigation into allegations of maladministration, malpractice or failures on the part of healthcare service providers, or the commission, or any officers or employees of the healthcare provider or the commission and will have the powers of a civil court in summoning any person, compelling the production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavits and issuing commission for the examination of witnesses.

All executive authorities and law enforcement agencies of the government will act in aid of the health ombudsman.

The ombudsman may direct a healthcare service provider to pay damages to the aggrieved person.

There are about 250 hospitals (public and private) and upwards of 25,000 other medical facilities, excluding traditional and herbal practitioners in the province.

The house passed two other bills: Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (amendment) Bill, 2009; and Punjab Katchi Abadis (amendment) Bill, 2009.

MPA Mohsin Leghari protested the passage of the katchi abadi bill, saying it involved property worth billions of rupees and the government should first sort out the land-grabbing cases before regularising such schemes.

He also pointed out the technical flaw that the bill covered even the katchi abadis established on railway land, which did not come under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.