LAHORE: The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has notified new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for quality control at the district headquarters (DHQs) hospitals and their laboratories across the province.

The new SOPs were issued following serious complaints that the doctors at the DHQ hospitals were referring many poor patients to the private labs for tests and asking them to purchase medicines from the market, depriving them of the free treatment facility offered by the government.

On the other hand, the doctors allege that the Punjab government has miserably failed to provide the public hospitals with the required budget, medicines and other accessories.

They claim the missing facilities at theDHQ hospitals of Punjab, which also continue to face shortage of medicines, has rendered their medical and surgical equipment non-functional.

They also argue that the doctors, in some cases, are forced to refer the patients to the private labs because of the poor quality of the tests for lack of required chemicals at the the DHQ hospitals.

However, Punjab caretaker health minister Dr Jamal Nasir has warned of stringent action against the doctors of government hospitals who refer the patients to private laboratories for tests or prescribe medicines to be purchased from the market.

Addressing a meeting of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the district health authorities (DHAs) here on Monday, he said two doctors involved in such practices have been suspended at Narowal and Sheikhupura DHQ hospitals.

He claimed that facilities for all important medical tests are available in the laboratories at the government hospitals. Therefore, the doctor should have mercy on poor patients and must not ask them to buy the medicines or bear private labs expenditures, the minister stressed.

He said the doctors should prescribe only unavoidable diagnostic tests to the patients.

Mr Jamal Nasir said the SOPs have been notified for ensuring quality control in the government hospitals labs, making their diagnosis reliable.

He said directions have also been issued for displaying these SOPs prominently in the DHQ hospitals’ laboratories to ensure their strict compliance by the relevant staff.

He ordered that safety protocols should be followed in the government hospitals’ laboratories, while the services of trainee lab assistants should also be utilised.

The minister ordered extending the government hospitals’ lab facilities to the evening shift as well.

Published in Dawn, Aug 1st, 2023