The Punjab Health Department is all set to appoint health commissioners to monitor all health providers and regularise the health sector under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources privy to the development said that nine health commissioners would be appointed across the province, which would regulate the entire health sector including the “public, private and non-government health establishments”. Qualifications of the health commissioners will be 16 years of formal education, 15 years of experience in senior management and integrity. Sources said that the government will soon advertise the post in the media to invite applications.
A committee consisting of all stakeholders, including the secretary health, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) VC, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president, homeopaths, herbal physicians (hakeem) and others was constituted under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act to sort out modalities regarding formation of the healthcare commission. According to details, out of nine commissioners, two will be nominated by the Punjab government, while seven will be nominated by the committee, which will recommend 14 names and the government will finalise seven out of them. The committee will also reserve the right to express reservations on government nominees.
The health commissioners will constitute a health commission, which will have the mandate to register all health providers, including private health establishments, set minimum basis standards and regularise the health sector. Chapter 2 of the healthcare act reads, “Commission shall exercise powers to improve the quality of healthcare and to ban quackery”, with detailed monitory and regulatory functions.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami said that the PMA has been demanding that rules and regulations for the healthcare commission should be framed for proper implementation of the act. “But, a consensus was developed among stakeholders that the rules and regulations should be framed after appointing commissioners who will be assigned tasks later on. Another consensus was developed regarding transparency to discourage someone’s discretion. It was also decided that the committee could express reservations against even the government nominees,” he added. Nizami said that the committee will invite applications and also “request” people of “repute and integrity” with experience in the field to join it.
“All applications will be scrutinised by the committee and the posts will be advertised to maintain transparency,” he added. The PMA leader said that health commissioners will not start initiating action from “day one” and will be given a time frame of three to five years to achieve given targets adding that the entire effort would provide better health facilities to the people.