PESHAWAR, Jan 11: The NWFP Health Regulatory Authority (HRA) has asked the medical practitioners to register their clinics by Jan 31 or face action, officials said.

"All the qualified medical practitioners registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Homeopathy Council, Tib Council, running private medical institutions, such as hospital, nursing or maternity home in private sector are required to be registered by Jan 31", said an official of the HRA.

The HRA established under the NWFP Medical and Health Institutions and Regulation of Health Care Services Ordinance 2002, has also asked the clinics, including, surgical, medical, dental and radiological diagnostic facilities, such as CT scan, MRI scan, blood bank, clinical laboratories and services in private sector need to get the outlets registered by due date.

The registration certificate would be valid for one year, which can be renewed every year upon a depositing of the fee. The fee is different for urban and rural areas, officials said.

"Those who are engaged in private practice and doesn't have valid registration from PMDC or homeopathy or tib councils shall not be allowed to practice any more and they should close down their clinics, laboratories etc., immediately", said an official who made it clear that action would be initiated after the deadline for registration is over.

According to the official, directives have been issued to all the executive district officers (EDOs), health throughout the province to collect a date regarding the number and validity of health outlets in private sector in their respective districts and initiate the registration process accordingly.

The official said that previously Dec 31 had been given as the last date for registration, but later it was extended by one month. He said that so far 103 health outlets in Peshawar had been registered while about 150 were being processed.

All those applying for registration are required to get the application form from the HRA and EDO's offices in their respective districts. The official said that the HRA, which is housed in one tiny room with four staffers, is making all out efforts to process the cases of registration in maximum time of three days.

Meanwhile, officials at the EDO's office Peshawar told Dawn that registrations of private hospitals and clinics are not likely to be renewed if they fail to develop a proper network for safe waste disposal.

"We had issued notices to the managements of private clinics and hospitals regarding the development of a proper waste disposal system three months ago, but no response is forthcoming," the official added.

He said that there were a total of 1,572 private health facilities in the city, generating kitchen and infectious waste, bio-waste, pharmaceutical, chemical and radio active 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 in the Dabgari Gardens area 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 its safe disposal as incinerators have already been installed there," the official said. According to him, these clinics' registration would not be renewed if they fail to comply with these directives.

All hospitals and clinics are required to get a certificate from any of the teaching hospitals, verifying that they have been transporting their waste there, he said.

The official said that a Swedish firm had started developing a mechanism for the hospital waste in the city. It had completed assessment work on the hospital waste management in collaboration with the local health and officials of the EPA, but following the installation of the MMA government in the province, officials working for the Swedish firm disappeared.