Even lapse of four months after enactment of law: health department fails to establish Sindh Healthcare Commission

Despite the passage of four and half months after Sindh Assembly passed Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, the provincial Health Department has so far failed to establish Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHC), which will act as a watchdog to register, regulate and monitor public and private hospitals and heath facilities in the province.
The provincial Health Department is headed by Dr Sagheer Ahmed of MQM as Minister while its administrative boss (Secretary) is Iqbal Durrani, son in law of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
With the establishment of SHC, health department's grip on health-related issues will be stronger, but the envisaged commission has not yet been established. Two meetings regarding the commission have already been held with Secretary Health in the chair, but the meetings failed to decide as to who will head the body. The commission will work as a watchdog to register, regulate and monitor public and private hospitals. Sindh Assembly had passed the bill in last week of February 2014.
A senior official of health department told Business Recorder that SHC would grant, revoke and renew licenses to persons involved in the provision of healthcare services. It would impose and collect penalties against the violation, breach and non-compliance of the law. Earlier, there was no independent body to hear the complaints of patients and health service providers. The commission will take action on their behalf. If complaint is false, the complainant shall be liable to pay a fine of up to Rs 200,000.
He said that fine of up to Rs 500,000 would be imposed on those practising without the registration of their medical centres and Rs 50,000 may be imposed on those who fail to cooperate with the inspection team, which will make sure the apparatus, appliances, equipment and products are up to standard. A committee will be formed under the supervision of health minister, which will notify the board consisting of nine commissioners. The provincial government would nominate a former judge of the Sindh High Court and a financial expert as commissioners while seven others would be nominated by the committee itself, he added.
The official further told that representatives of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, College of Physician and Surgeons of Pakistan, Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, Mental Health Authority, Pakistan Nursing Council, Pakistan Medical Association, Auditor General of Pakistan, National Council for Tibb and National Council for Homeopathy will be members of the technical advisory board.
The commission will also frame guidelines to protect health service providers from harassment, undue pressure and damage to property. The security and protection of healthcare workers should be the responsibility of the organisations. The public and private hospitals must provide physical and legal protections to doctors and healthcare workers. In case of physical injury on duty, the doctors and healthcare workers should be fully compensated.