Health Care Commission's reply to contempt plea sought.

PESHAWAR -- The Peshawar High Court has directed the the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission's chief executive to respond to a contempt petition filed over the non-implementation of the court's order to fix uniform rates of health facilities, including laboratories and clinics in the province.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar fixed July 2 for the next hearing into the petition of advocate Saifullah Muhib Kakakahel, who contended that in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the high court's judgment delivered on Nov 13, 2019, had assumed importance as laboratories had been charging different rates of tests for the infection.

The petitioner said the HCC and health department had so far not complied with the court's order about the fixing of rates for different health facilities and bringing uniformity in them.

The bench asked Shakil Khan Ahmadkhel, lawyer for HCC, to file reply to the petition on behalf of the chief executive beofre the next hearing.

Petitioner insists PHC orders for fixing lab rates not followed

Advocate Saifullah Muhib had earlier filed a petition requesting the court to issue directives to the HCC to regulate the rates of public and private sector health facilities and make it mandatory for private laboratories, clinics and hospitals to display their rates prominently on their premises.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth had accepted the petition in Nov 2019 and ordered the HCC to fix and bring uniformity in rates of all laboratories, clinics and hospitals within three months.

The respondents in the contempt petition are the HCC chief executive officer, provincial health secretary and director general (health services).

The petitioner requested the court to punish the respondents for committing its...