KARACHI: The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has started inspections of secondary and tertiary care hospitals running in private and public sectors in Sindh to examine them for issuance of regular licences.

“The SHCC in its process for registration and licensing of healthcare facilities has issued 11,491 registration certificates and 493 provisional licences to date,” said a statement.

Now the healthcare facilities, which have got the provisional licences, have applied for the regular licence, and therefore the inspections for regular licence are being carried out, it said, adding so far six healthcare establishments/hospitals have been thoroughly inspected for regular licence — the Aga Khan University Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital-North Nazimabad, Memon Medical Institute Hospital, Memon Hospital-Burns Road, National Medical Centre and Bahria Town Hospital Karachi.

The concerned directorate of licensing and accreditation also approaches healthcare providers at their facilities for guiding them about the process of registration and licensing with the SHCC.

The registration drive, which has been started from District Sujawal and Thatta, focused on rural areas, towns and talukas such as Jhirk, Jhok Sharif, Gharo, Mirpur Sakro, Jati, Sujawal city, Thatta city, Daro and Mirpur Bathoro.

According to the statement, till date this initiative results in 80 per cent response from healthcare providers, which is deemed to be ‘encouraging’.

As per SHCC Act 2013 mandate regarding registration, the commission has powers to initiate action against non-compliant/unregistered healthcare facilities, including imposition of fines or sealing off a facility.

“However, the directorate of licensing and accreditation aims to encourage and facilitate the service providers during this stage,” the statement concluded.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2022