KARACHI: The board of commissioners of the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) was finally completed on Tuesday when the health department notified its chairman elected to the post in June this year.

According to the notification, Dr Khalid Sheikh would hold the post of SHCC chairman for a period of three years with immediate effect.

Sources said the commission — an autonomous body set up to regulate the quality and standards of healthcare services — had been without elected members and chairman for 15 months on account of prolonged delays on part of the health department in holding timely elections and notifying the elected members and chairman.

“The delay in elections and relevant notifications was uncalled for and deliberate. Notwithstan­ding, the elected body will bring about fundamental changes in the commission’s operation under the law and make all efforts to protect the rights of healthcare providers as well as patients,” said Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, senior member of the Pakistan Medical Association and elected SHCC commissioner.

He accused the unelected administrative officials of rampantly misusing the commission’s powers to mint money from doctors and health facilities.

“Our only objective is to enforce the healthcare commission law as passed by the provincial assembly, improve the quality of healthcare services and strive to end quackery in all forms and manifestations in the province,” he emphasised.

It might be recalled that the tenure of the previous commission members and chairman was completed in June 2022, after which elections were held for the commissioners in July the same year.

The seven members elected as commissioners last year were: Dr Khalid Sheikh (retired special secretary), Dr Anees Hussain Mousvi (retired bureaucrat), Prof Sameer Qureshi (retired professor of ENT), Dr Shoaib Gangat (professor of surgery), Dr Sajjad Siddiqui (PMA), Dr Mirza Ali Azhar (PMA) and Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro (PMA).

These commissioners, however, were notified after a delay of six to seven months in violation of rules and regulations. Then, the health department kept on delaying the election of the commission’s chairman, which was finally held on June 9, 2023.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023