PESHAWAR, Aug 7: The NWFP government plans to amend a law relating to registration of healthcare centres. “Private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centre throughout the province will be closed down if they fails to fulfil the registration criteria set by the Health Regulatory Authority (HRA),” an official said.

He said that a law approved by the cabinet and the governor would be tabled in the next session of the NWFP Assembly to give more financial and administrative powers to the HRA.

NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had given the go-ahead for amending the law, officials said.

The HRA was established under the NWFP Medical and Health Institutions and Regulation of Health Care Services Ordinance 2002, to curb malpractices in the health sector, officials said.

“The chief minister has directed to present the summary in the next meeting of the provincial cabinet so that the desired amendments could be approved,” said officials.

Officials said that after the passage of the bill, the executive district officers (EDOs) (Health) would get more powers. They said that the EDOs had been asked to register hospitals, laboratories and private diagnostic outlets and allow them six months to improve their performance.

If these clinics and laboratories and blood banks did not improve their performance, they would be closed down and their names would be notified, they said, adding that only genuine ones would be allowed to operate.

The officials said that they had issued notices to the managements of private clinics and hospitals about the devising a proper waste disposal system one year ago, but they had seen no improvement in this regard.

He said that the city had 1,572 private health facilities, generating hazardous waste that needed proper disposal.

Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency said that they were constantly in touch with officials from the EDO’s office to convince owners of private clinics and hospitals to set up a proper waste disposal system.

“We have asked the private health institutions to transport their wastage to any of the three teaching hospitals for safe disposal as incinerators have already been installed there,” the official said.

According to him, the registration of these clinics would not be renewed if they fail to comply with the directives. All clinics were required to get a certificate from the teaching hospitals, verifying that they were transporting their waste, he said.

HRA officials said that once they were empowered, they would be able to take action against people violating health-related laws.

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