LAHORE: The Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab (IDAP) has invited tenders for setting up centralised pathological laboratories in Lahore and Multan.

Teaching hospitals of Lahore and Multan would be attached with the respective central lab, said Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah while presiding over a meeting on Monday to review progress on the projects.

Lands adjacent to the Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, and the Multan Institute of Cardiology had been allocated for the purpose. Satellite labs would also be established in these teaching hospitals. Such laboratories would be established at all divisional headquarters in future, he said.He said the Punjab Health Initiatives Management Company (PHIMC) would execute the projects to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs460 million. The government would be responsible for the construction of infrastructure. Both the labs would be outsourced and the contracting company or firm would be responsible for installation of equipment or machinery, provision of kits and other accessories on their own expenses, he said.

The secretary said a summary had been sent for releasing funds. Provision of extension had been provided in both the projects to meet the future requirements. He said all the laboratory tests would be of international standard for which the government would pay to the laboratories.

“Quality lab tests is one of the basic requirement for the accurate treatments of the patients, therefore, the government is taking initiatives for providing international quality lab tests,” he said.

CLINICS SEALED: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has sealed 26 fake treatment centres of quacks in Vehari district.

A PHC spokesperson said here on Monday that further proceedings against 14 clinics of general practitioners, two hakeems, one homeopath, two laboratories, six dentists and one bone-setter were also initiated.

Two teams of the PHC inspected 78 treatment centres and found that 52 clinics were being run by qualified medics who were registered with the commission. However, the premises of 26 clinics were sealed for indulging in illegal medical practices. These centres were being run by dispensers and unqualified staff, while other illegal practices included medical stores treating patients, homeopaths and hakeems giving allopathic medicines, dentistry without qualified doctors and laboratories without pathologists and other qualified staff.

The spokesperson said the commission was continuously taking measures for raising standards of the healthcare service delivery and would continue efforts to eliminate quackery in its all manifestations across the province.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017