PESHAWAR, March 14: The NWFP government on Wednesday agreed to constitute a fact-finding committee to look into the facilities at government hospitals in view of the reservations expressed by government-employed doctors against institution-based practice.

The agreement to constitute the committee led by chief secretary Shakeel Durrani came at a meeting between the health minister, Dr Mehertaj Roghani and a five-member team of Joint Action Committee of doctors led by Dr Umar Ayub.

The minister, while setting up the committee, said that it would submit its report within the next 48 hours which would be put up for discussions.

The meeting, a press release said, had been convened in response to a letter by the Joint Action Committee calling upon the government to discuss the doctors reservations against the institution-based practice in view of the adequate diagnostic and accommodation facilities at public hospitals.

The committee deplored what it called a media campaign by certain health officials against the doctors and cautioned that defaming doctors would harm the profession which in turn would affect health care in the country. The minister assured that no such campaign would be allowed to tarnish the image of the doctors community.

The JAC also asked the government to allow an honourable exit to doctors with full service benefits as per their seniority.

The doctors pointed out that inadequate diagnostic and accommodation facilities were the main impediment in carrying out institution-based practice and claimed that the public hospitals did not have the wherewithal to cope with the load of patients. In this connection, they also referred to a federal government report.

PMA MEETING: The central council of Pakistan Medical Association has been summoned here on Sunday to discuss the new health policy in the NWFP, and the murders of doctors.