Ministry withdraws Islamabad Health Facilities Management Bill presented to cabinet.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- A draft bill that was presented in the federal cabinet after significant brainstorming was withdrawn by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Tuesday because it needed improvement.

The Islamabad Health Facilities Management Bill 2019 aims to create a referral system among primary, secondary and tertiary care facilities. It would also establish an integrated system and allot a unique identity to every Islamabad resident so their medical history would be available at any health facility.

The Ministry of NHS claimed it was decided that more input would be sought from the medical community before the bill is approved.

A ministry official said the government's bill will deal with non-teaching health institutions, apart from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, in the capital.

He said it would also deal with a referral system for health facilities. 'The federal capital would be made a medical city due to which other provinces would also follow the capital,' he said.

Bill to be shared with medical community, secretary says

The official added that it was strange that the bill was tabled in the federal cabinet without addressing ambiguities and concerns.

According to the cabinet decision shared with the press by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, the draft of the bill was withdrawn.

It will now be initially submitted in the cabinet's committee on legislative business and then presented in the federal...