KARACHI: The much-awaited Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC), an autonomous regulatory body to ensure quality health care in Sindh, was formally launched on Thursday at a hotel announcing that it had begun its operation from the Karachi South for registration of health providers.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikander Mendhro was to be the chief guest of the event who could not turn up because of the assassination of a senior provincial minister, Hazar Khan Bijarani.

Thus, the organisers called it a ‘soft launch’ by postponing the scheduled speeches and presentations for a press briefing to be held soon.

It took four years to formally establish the commission after the related law was passed in February 2014 and notified a month later.

Sindh is much behind Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in establishment of the commission as it was formed six years ago in the Punjab and around 20 months ago in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Officials highlighted the importance of the SHCC and gave back ground that how that corporate body would help in improvement of quality health care service delivery in Sindh.

They said the standards for hospital had been notified for the SHCC and the health service providers and hospitals should register with the commission as per its mandate.

Prof Tipu Sultan, the chairperson of the commission, told Dawn that with formally launching of the commission, registration of all the health care providers would begin.

“We’ll start registering the health care providers from Karachi South district,” said Dr Sultan, adding, other districts of Sindh would start the same later soon.

“It is now mandatory for all the government and privately-run hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories and other health providers to get them registered. The clinics will also be registered later,” said Dr Sultan.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2018