Licence mandatory for public, private hospitals, laboratories.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- In its first meeting, the board of Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) on Wednesday made licence mandatory for all public sector and private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and laboratories.

The decision would make thousands of health facilities answerable to the health authority as they would require registration, inspections and licence to function. Public safety and protection/safety of staff would also be ensured through the authority.

The meeting was also participated by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

The board chairman Dr Syed Fazl-i-Hadi, while talking to Dawn, said the Act was passed in May 2019 and since then the government has been making efforts to implement it.

The decision will make thousands of health facilities answerable to the newly formed health regulatory authority

'All the health facilities of the federal capital will have to get the licence to function. Authority would be able to inspect all the facilities in rural and urban areas of the federal capital. Though I don't have exact number, there are thousands of health facilities, including clinics, in Islamabad,' he said.

Replying to a question, Dr Hadi said there was no health care regulation in the federal capital.

'Now it has been decided to ensure regulations. All health facilities, including dental health centres and laboratories, would come under one umbrella. Even we will be able to take action against the doctors in case of any complaint regarding surgeries, etc.,' he said.

He said that in the past there used to be a check of the authorities on public sector health facilities, but private health facilities were not under their purview.

'However now we will be able to inspect and take action against the private health facilities. They will be answerable to us so safety of the staff will also be ensured as they remain vulnerable to a number of...