KARACHI, Jan 21: It appears that a provincial government plan to ensure safe operation of hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres in the province has been put on the back burner.

According to sources in the provincial health department, a draft ordinance was finalised by the department about seven months back, under the directives of the provincial chief executive and other high-ups, to set some code of conduct for the private healthcare establishments in view of increasing grievances of people against them.

At present there is no system for registering the private hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres in the province and in the absence of any regulatory body the private concerns are free to charge patients at will.

There are no minimum standards or checks for safe operation of hospitals or clinics and provision of better services to patients. No authority has any complete list of operational health establishments or their proprietors, and anybody can start healthcare business at any time.

In June, 2006, the then provincial health minister at a press conference had said that his department in consultation with the law department had prepared a draft ordinance to be called `Sindh private Hospitals and Clinics (Regulation and Control) Ordinance, 2006’, which will be placed before the Sindh Cabinet prior to its promulgation by the governor.

He had further said that the proposed set of laws would be the first of its kind in the country and was the need of the hour, particularly in a situation when the grievances of people and patients against the private healthcare facilities were on the rise and the health department was unable to take any action against the erring hospitals in the absence of relevant legislation.

Under the proposed law all hospitals and clinics and diagnostic centres were to be enrolled first with an authority and acquire an NOC for going operational.

If the set of laws in question are introduced, people will be in a position to lodge complaints against private hospitals and other healthcare providers for fair and transparent inquiries, said a source in the health department.

Any person contravening the provisions of the proposed ordinance shall be punished with imprisonment of three years or a penalty of Rs0.5 million, or both.

Through the ordinance the provincial health department will also be able to check quackery. Under the proposed laws a health centre will not be in a position to refuse medical cover or emergency medical treatment to anybody, while every registered hospital and clinic shall be open to inspection by the licensing authority or a person authorised by the authority, the official added.

It was learnt that after fulfilling all legal requirements, the health department had sent a summary for the approval of the draft in question and its further movement for promulgation as an ordinance by the Sindh governor.

“We have come to know that the CM, who had issued directives for enactment of appropriate laws for proper regulation and control of private hospitals in June, 2004, has given his favourable stance again about two months back,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

“We do not know why a brake has been put on the promulgation plan again and where the relevant file is lying,” said the official.