Daily Times

The Punjab Healthcare Commission and the University of Lahore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ‘Patient Safety’ here on Wednesday. Chairperson Board of Commissioners PHC Justice (retired) Muhammad Bilal Khan was the chief guest while Chairman Board of Governors University of Lahore Awais Rauf was the guest of honour. Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Principal University College of Medicine Prof Dr Mehwish Arooj, Chief Executive Officer PHC Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz, Commissioner PHC Dr Talat Afza, Directors Commission Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Salariya and Dr Muhammad Anwar Janjua, Principal University College of Dentistry Prof Dr Riaz Waraich, Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Pervaiz and others were also present. Prof Muhammad Ashraf and Dr Saqib Aziz signed the MoU documents on behalf of their respective organisations.

Addressing the event, Justice (retired) Bilal Khan said after the MoU, both institutions would be mutually supportive, which would provide more support in ensuring the safe treatment of patients, and the Commission would continue to help in improving the quality of medical facilities. He further said that after the passing of the PHC Act in 2010, the Commission was established to implement the standards in private and government healthcare establishments (HCEs). “The PHC is currently instructing all qualified physicians to implement the standards. Now, all public and private hospitals, clinics, polyclinics and primary healthcare units are engaged in providing quality health services and redressal of patient grievances,” he said, adding that the Commission was always in action against mismanagement, mishandling and practice of unregistered HCEs.

Speaking at the event, Awais Rauf said after signing the memorandum with the Commission, the University would be able to provide better facilities to patients. “The staff of the University, medical college, and teaching hospital will be able to benefit from the experts of the Commission, by which we will create more convenience for the patients after the grooming of our students, staff and doctors. It is gratifying that we have signed an MoU with the PHC and both institutions will benefit from this agreement in the future,” he added.

Dr Saqib Aziz, while addressing the event, said before 2010, the PMDC and Nursing Council used to regulate the curriculum and examinations related to healthcare, but even then there was no organisation to regulate public and private hospitals, clinics and other HCEs. “Since the establishment of the PHC, we have registered more than 60,000 HCEs and issued 8,000 regular licences. The PHC has inspected 154,000 treatment centres to eliminate quackery and sealed more than 43,000 illegal centres, while around 30,000 people have quit their illegal businesses,” he said. Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf said his organisation had signed different MoUs with various institutions, but it was important whether it was kept alive or buried in files. “It has been a tradition of the University to follow up on every MoU continuously. After this agreement with the Commission, we will improve patient safety by implementing all standards, SOPs and guidelines,” he vowed while promising to conduct international conferences and seminars. Prof Dr Mehwish Arooj and Dr Zahid Pervaiz also spoke on the occasion.

AFPGMI delegation visits PHC: A 26-member delegation, comprising faculty members and under-training officers of the Armed Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute (AFPGMI), visited the office of the Punjab Healthcare Commission on Wednesday, and was given a briefing regarding the work and achievements of the PHC.

The AFPGMI delegation was led by Commandant of the Institute Major General Ahsan Altaf. Chief Executive Officer PHC Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz gave a brief on the background, mandate, jurisdiction, regulatory functions, processes, and quality assurance activities of the Commission to participants of the MSc Medical Administration Course. The CEO underlined the need for mutual learning, sharing of knowledge and experience in the fields of clinical governance, quality assurance, capacity assessment of the health managers and practitioners, and capacity-building in the healthcare service delivery, including regular training sessions, research and development.

The delegation was told that the PHC was committed to working continuously for patient safety and equivalently-available better treatment facilities across the province. The visible absence of the regulatory frameworks was pointed out as nothing was structured for regulating the healthcare service delivery before the inception of the Commission, which was institutionalised in Punjab for the first time to bring all the healthcare establishments (HCEs) under the ambit of rules and regulations. Director (Studies) AFPGMI Brigadier Tashfeen Bin Nazeer, while thanking the PHC senior management for holding the briefing, said the Commission was doing good work, which was being recognised nationally and internationally. PHC’s directors Clinical Governance Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Salariya, Licence and Accreditation Dr Muhammad Anwar Janjua, Human Resource Asif Habib, Complaints Dr Syed Shamoon Masood and Special Secretary Health Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Shoaib Jadoon were also present on the occasion.