ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulation and Coordination on Friday showed its concern over alleged large number of illegal and unauthorised health clinics in capital city stating that people could not be left at the mercy of quack.

The committee, which met here with Senator Khushbakht Shujat in the chair, discussed various health related issue.

Discussing the issue of unauthorised and illegal clinic and hospitals, Senator Javed Abbasi regretted that in Islamabad there are a large number of unauthorized clinics being run by quack. He said: “If this is the situation in the capital city, one could imagine the situation in other parts of the country.” He said that the Islamabad Health Care Regulatory Authority was not properly functioning and it had failed to keep a check on illegal clinic and hospitals being run by quacks.

He said a couple of years ago, the act was passed and then by law a powerful authority was set up but still the authority had failed to take any action against the illegal business.

However, health officials told the committee that besides other factors the budget issue was also causing delay in proper functioning of the body. Now the government is taking serious steps to make this regulatory authority fully functional at the earliest.

Senator Abbasi said that government took one year to notify the authority and another year to appoint chief executive officer (CEO) of the authority, adding that there is a need to take steps to make the authority a vibrant organisation by providing sufficient funds, facilities and manpower.

Health ministry officials told the meeting that only the CEO has been appointed whereas his supporting staff is yet to be hired. CEO Dr. Ali Naqvi also attended the meeting.

Supporting the views of Senator Abbasi, Senator Asad Ashraf said the authority should have been made functional within one week after its notification.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan acknowledged the delay in making the authority a proper organisation.

However, he said that a board had been formed to run the authority and efforts were underway to make it a vibrant regulatory body.

Meanwhile, Senator Sardar Mohammad Shafiq Tareen raised the issue of alleged illegal appointments in major hospitals and health departments.

He said for years, deputationists are also performing in said departments, but government is not taking action in this regard.

While discussing the issue regarding percentage and coverage of immunisation/vaccination of children under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the health officials told the committee that more than 8,000 hospitals are vaccinating and immunising the children.

They also said that in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan mobile units are providing immunisation to children. Officials informed that the immunisation infrastructure in the country is being expanded. The committee was also informed that a fresh survey is being conducted to understand the coverage ratio of immunization in the country. The committee also discussed the issue of a ban on diploma certificates for the nurses.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2020