ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Mushtaq Ahmed told a Senate body on Tuesday that most private hospitals in the federal capital charge each admitted patient 10pc miscellaneous charges.

Mr Ahmed was speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) at Parliament House.

At the committee’s last meeting, its members alleged that hospitals in Islamabad were selling medicines to admitted patients at rates that were significantly higher than the prices fixed by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration was directed to investigate the complaint and submit a report.

Senate standing committee calls CADD representatives to next meeting for solution on miscellaneous charges issue

“Hospitals have been selling medicines at retail prices, but when patients are discharged they include 10pc miscellaneous charges in the bill, due to which prices are increased,” he said, adding that all private hospitals – including Quaid-i-Azam International Hospital, Shifa International Hospital, Kulsum International Hospitals, Ali Medical and others – follow the same practice.

Mr Ahmed said there is no law that restricts hospitals from billing for miscellaneous charges, due to which the ICT administration cannot take action against hospitals, only pharmacies and medical stores.

He said that if legislation is made, “or we get direction from the government that such charges are not allowed, we will be able to take action and ensure that no hospital charges an extra 10pc in the name of miscellaneous charges”.

Senator Mian Mohammad Ateeq Shaikh said that, as far as he knew, hospitals were charging 10 to 25pc more for medicines.

He added: “Moreover, teaching hospitals do not provide 50pc free beds to patients, despite a number of claims made by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that it has ensured that all teaching hospitals provide free beds.”

According to PMDC rules, all teaching hospitals are bound to provide free treatment to 50pc of admitted patients, as this gives students the opportunity to learn from the maximum number of patients, while poor patients benefit under corporate social responsibility.

Committee chairman Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak also asked which ministry was responsible for addressing the miscellaneous charges issue.

NHS Additional Secretary Mohammad Ali Shahzada said his ministry’s role was only to regulate, so the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) should be contacted to deal with the matter. The committee then decided to call CADD representatives to its next meeting, and directed them to present a solution.

‘Medical colleges receiving underhand payments from students’

During a discussion on medical colleges’ admissions, Senator Shaikh claimed that medical colleges receive “underhand” payment from students.

Although the PMDC has fixed the annual fees for medical students at Rs642,000, colleges receive over Rs1 million a year under various charges, including boarding, transportation, events and taxes.

The COO of Shifa International Hospital, Aziz Jan, reacted strongly to the allegation, saying it was not correct that the teaching hospital receives such payments from students and asking Senator Shaikh to withdraw his words.

However, Senator Shaikh said he would move a privilege motion against Mr Jan, as he was speaking to a parliamentarian, to which Mr Jan said Senator Shaikh could do whatever he wanted as he should have considered that he was speaking to the COO of Shifa International Hospital.

The vice chancellor of Shifa Tameer-i-Millat University, Prof Iqbal Khan, who accompanied Mr Jan to the meeting, tried to normalise the situation and apologised to the committee.

Speaking to Dawn, Senator Shaikh said everyone was aware that private medical colleges received payment from students, and added that he had proof of his claims.

“I will definitely move a privilege motion against Mr Jan, and he will be made [to answer for insulting a] parliamentarian,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017