PESHAWAR, Dec 13: A proposed amendment to the law for regulating private health facilities by the federal government has drawn criticism from medical practitioners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who has termed it arbitrary.
Provincial president of Pakistan Medical Association Dr Azhar Jadoon told Dawn on Thursday that the amendment drafted by a five-member National Assembly committee and to be introduced in the House shortly would harm the interests of the owners of private healthcare facilities in the country.
He said the proposed legislation had terrified doctors, who operated private health facilities and supplemented the government’s health initiatives for the people.
“The draft law should be discussed with PMA before it is tabled in the National Assembly,” he said.
Dr Jadoon said the government had not consulted the medical community due to which the draft amendment to the Pakistan Private Hospitals, Clinics and Other Private Healthcare Units Regulatory Authority Act, 2010 had become questionable and was seen as a ploy by the government to harass the people associated with health profession in the private sector.
He opposed the enactment of the proposed amendment by the government without consulting stakeholders and said the move was meant to harass those serving the ill people in the private sector.
The provincial PMA president said under the proposed law, the government would ensure that the private healthcare facilities were adequately maintained and observed ethical standards in provision of treatment to their patients but such laws should be made in consultation with PMA, which represented doctors.
“This will ensure the achievements of the desired objectives,” he said.
The relevant officials said after the passage of the said amendment, the Pakistan Private Hospitals, Clinics and other Private Healthcare Units Regulatory Authority with its offices in all provincial capitals would be established to ensure its implementation at the grassroots level.
They said the authority would make rules to regulate the establishment and operation of private healthcare facilities.
“The authority to be headed by a chairman to be appointed from among its 12 members with the relevant federal secretary and provincial health secretaries as its ex-officio members will receive applications for establishment of private hospital and clinic,” an official said.
Dr Jadoon said the government’s measures to contain the mushroom growth of private health centres established in the country without authorisation made sense but since health was a technical subject, the authorities should consult the relevant experts on it to prevent future complications.
He said PMA, the academic organisation of doctors in the country, was ready to extend cooperation to the government against the unregistered private health facilities, but the latter should refrain from amending the law arbitrarily.
Officials said the government wanted to take immediate measures to address the growing public complaints against private hospitals.
They said through the amendment, the government also wanted to look into fabricated research papers used to promote some private health facilities manned by unqualified staff.
They added that the people with bogus degrees and certificates worked at ill-equipped health centres.
“The people have been affected by the present system of private healthcare and are supportive of a change in it for the greater accountability of medical practitioners,” an official said.
The provincial PMA president said the association wanted to promote academic medical research and private practice of doctors and advised the government to consult them before making the amendment to the law.
He said only PMA could help the government bind hospitals to have emergency rooms, necessary equipment, laboratories, qualified medical staff and nursing support.