Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Health on Monday deferred a bill that had called for regulation of healthcare sector.

The decision was taken to defer the bill after the committee received the report of the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC).

The committee met under chairmanship of Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi. A ministry official informed the committee that similar laws already existed. “The bill will duplicate these laws,” the report said.

The bill had been presented by Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati. The bill had called for the provision of safe and quality healthcare services in the capital and elsewhere in the country under the federal government. It had set out actions needed to achieve the vision of quality healthcare services.

The bill also called for expedient action to promote and improve patient safety and healthcare services in all sectors. It further aimed to provide mechanism for protection of patient’s rights and establish national health care commission to regulate healthcare establishment in public and private sectors under the federal government.

Swati said that Pakistan was the only country in the world where doctors played with the people’s health. He said that he had presented the bill to enhance penalties for those involved in malpractices.

On this, the ministry official said that there were many punishments for such criminals. “Doctors who are not registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) can be fined upto Rs 100,000 and awarded six months imprisonment. The punishment for quacks is Rs 200,000 in fine and 6 to 12 month imprisonment,” he said.

Senator Swati said that the punishment should be raised to death penalty.

Senator Swati further disclosed that he personally knew doctors who did not have any registration certificates from the PMDC. Without mentioning their names, he claimed that another senator backed these doctors. “The doctors use the name of the senator and earn billions of rupees. Nobody takes them to task,” he said.

Other committee members, including Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, endorsed Senator Swati’s stance.

However, the committee chairman deferred the bill, stating that it would be taken up in another meeting.

While discussing another agenda item related to the Human Organs and Transplants Authority (HOTA), the senators inquired from the ministry about the criteria and reasons for appointing HOTA Chairman Dr Ishtaiq Malik, who had allegedly been fined by a US court.

On this, the NHSRC official said that Malik had submitted a settlement agreement with the ministry. However, Senator Swati said that only providing a copy of the settlement was not enough.

“The ministry should submit a complete file with all the documents related to the matter,” the chairman said.

The committee will analyse the documents and also examine the nature of agreement because it is the matter of public interest, he said.

“Malik had also admitted to violating rules before the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” another senator said.