ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Healthcare Facilities Management Authority Bill, 2022 was passed by the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Thursday.

The bill seeks to provide better management, supervision and administration of healthcare facilities in the jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The bill will enable the authority to approve its budget and allocate funds to health institutions under its supervision; it will also ensure that there is the transparency of procedure for appointment, terms and conditions of services, disciplinary matters and other service matters for all employees under the direct or indirect authority of the International Health Management Associates (IHMA).

Another bill titled, The Pakistan Nursing Council Amendment Bill 2022 was also passed. A third bill titled, Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2021 was referred back to the Secretariat.

The committee’s meeting was chaired by PTI legislator Dr Mohammad Humayun Mohmand at the Parliament House.

Seeks to provide better management, supervision and administration of health facilities in capital

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that in order to amend and consolidate the law relating to education and training of nurses, midwives and lady health workers, an initiative was taken by National Health Task Reforms Force constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan to draft the bill.

“The bill will ensure the competence of registered professionals of Pakistan Nursing Education. The bill enables the inclusion of the director-general (nursing) from each province, one nurse or midwife from surgeon generals of the armed forces, one from the provincial health department, one from a public sector hospital, and three members from civil society to be nominated by the prime minister,” he said.

The Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2021 moved by Senators Seemee Ezdi, Khalida Ateeb and Mushahid Hussain Syed in the Senate was referred back to the Secretariat, so it could be referred to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law for further deliberation.

The matter regarding the decision of conducting a special professional examination for 600 students of public colleges including Jhalawan Medical College Khuzdar, Makran Medical College Turbat and Loralai Medical College in Balochistan, before their recognition with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) was discussed at length. The committee along with the health ministry decided to give recommendations to the council to review the decision of conducting an additional professional exam which will correspond with the year of study completed by the student.

Students should not have to suffer, the chairman of the committee said while directing the commission to review its decision in the larger interest of justice.

Vice chancellor of Bolan University of Medical Health Sciences Prof Dr Naqib Ullah Achakzai told committee members that an additional test for students of these universities is unfair. Various factors contributed to the delay in recognition of these universities, out of which the pandemic was the leading one, he said.

The committee members gave recommendations to review the decision of conducting the special exams for students of Balochistan. The committee sought a report from PMC on the matter within three weeks.

The meeting was attended by Senators Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Fawzia Arshad, Sana Jamali, Dilawar Khan, Rubina Khalid, Sardar Mohammad Shafiq Tareen, and Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar and others. Member of National Assembly Riaz Fatyana and senior officials from the ministry and its attached departments also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2022