Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination discussed HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Bill, 2013 on Thursday.

The meeting was held in the committee room of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination under the chairmanship of MNA Mr Khalid Hussain Magsi.

The bill had been moved by MNA Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho.

The committee also considered the Medical Consultancy and Other Services (Rationalisation of Fees) Bill, 2016 moved by MNA Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, and The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2016, moved by MNA Dr Fouzia Hameed.

The committee considered the medical consultancy bill in detail. Mover of the bill, MNA Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan informed the committee that consulting private medical practitioners was fast becoming out of the reach of the common people.

National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination State Minister Saira Afzal Tarar appreciated the objectives of the bill and said that an identical bill had been drafted by the ministry and was in the process of approval. Therefore, the committee decided that the bill might not be processed for further legislation.

The committee also considered the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2016 moved by MNA Dr Fouzia Hameed in detail. The ministry assured the committee that the amendments moved by the member would be incorporated in the schedule of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Bill, 2012 as it was in the ambit of the ministry to amend the schedules according to the requirements.

MNAs Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Dr Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Chaudhry Muhammad Shahbaz Babar, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Dr Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon, Col (r) Dr Amirullah Marwat, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal and Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan attended the meeting.