Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) on Monday expressed anger over an incorrect laboratory test report issued by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi. Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq said that the NIH authorities had ignored recommendations given in the committee’s previous meeting. At its last meeting, the NIH authorities had been directed to present a comprehensive report regarding the mechanism of conducting tests in the hospital and the reasons behind the issuance of a wrong laboratory test report. The officials of the NIH, however, failed to do so. The lawmakers criticised them. In response to questions over the wrong test results, NIH officials said a human error could be behind the incorrect test result. “A single wrong test report should not be generalised to criticise the institute and its performance,” they said.

However, Senator Ateeq said that even one wrong test report was enough to cast doubt on the credibility of an institute. The NIH was then once again directed to submit complete details regarding the case.

The matter of unregistered medical colleges and hospitals and fake doctors also came under discussion. Senator Ateeq showed a picture to the committee showing a sweeper performing a postmortem procedure on a body in a government hospital in Sheikhupura. “Even the dead are not safe from such culprits,” he said.

The committee chairman expressed anger over the incident and directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to take action.

The PMDC officials admitted that such activities continued in the country’s hospitals. “Whenever the council discovers any loopholes, it takes serious action to address them,” he said.

The PMDC officials said that in the past few years, it had banned around 10 private medical colleges and taken action against hundreds of fake doctors. “An online complaint system has been launched to take action against unregistered doctors and illegal medical colleges,” the officials said.

The committee members said that information about the online complaint system should be displayed in all public and private hospitals. The PMDC officials said that they did not have enough administrative powers to take action against violators. “We cannot do more than cancel of licenses of substandard hospitals and annul the registration of doctors involved in malpractice. If further action is required, the council can inform the Ministry of Health and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),” the officials said. The committee also discussed the problems facing the Homeopathic Council. Officials informed the lawmakers that the council was facing a financial crisis. They said that since 2004, the council’s annual budgetary allocation had just been Rs 2 million. “This amount is insufficient to provide modern facilities to the masses as well other expenditures of the department,” they said.

The officials said the homeopathic treatment could be used to deal with the existing shortage of healthcare facilities. In response, the chair forwarded the matter to the committee, headed by Senator Kalsoom Parveen.

Handicapped: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has allocated Rs 1 billion for institutions working for the physically handicapped people.

“The government has allocated a huge amount of funds for CADD for fiscal year 2017-18. We are utilising a substantial amount for the special people,” said CADD Parliamentary Secretary Maiza Hameed.

Talking to reporters, she said that four projects for special people had been initiated by the government. Hameed said that special educational institutions would be provided with the latest facilities under the Prime Minister’s Education Reforms programme.

“In the current year, a total of 250 special students have been admitted in special schools after provision of transportation facility to special students under education reforms programme,” she added.