Healthcare professionals and organizations in Punjab are gearing up for a protest against the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC), criticizing its policies and actions, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a joint press conference in Lahore on Saturday, representatives of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore and other healthcare bodies announced a sit-in in front of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) on July 22 to press their demands.
Speaking on the occasion, PMA Lahore Dr. Ashraf Nizami observed that established to eradicate quackery and improve healthcare quality in both public and private sectors, the PHC has failed to fulfill its mandate.
Instead, quackery has increased, a fact even acknowledged by government ministers, he said adding that this failure has led to the commission being mockingly referred to as the "Promotion of Quackery Commission."
The PMA, along with other healthcare professional organizations including the Young Doctors Association (YDA), Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), Family Physicians Associations, Private Hospital Association, and Patient Welfare Association, has decided to stage a sit-in on July 24. Thousands of doctors and civil society representatives from across Punjab are expected to participate in this protest outside the PHC’s office, he vowed.
He accused the PHC of imprudent policies, unconstitutional, unethical, and illegal actions, and stubbornness.
Prof Nizami argued that the commission, instead of resolving healthcare issues, has become a significant obstacle, leading them to take this drastic step to warn the government.
The planned protest aims to highlight the commission's failures and demand urgent reforms.”
The demands of the protesting healthcare organizations are as follows:
- The PHC must take effective action against quackery.
- Inspections of public and private healthcare establishments should be conducted according to the law.
- The registration process for healthcare providers should be made simpler, with the issuance of a straightforward application form.
- Develop Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) based on ground realities.
- Establish PHC offices at district and division levels to prevent case referrals to Lahore.
- Suspend inspection activities until an agreement is reached with a negotiation committee.
- Conduct a public audit of the PHC’s performance, financial matters, and administrative affairs over the past 14 years in the presence of public and healthcare professionals' organizations.
The PMA and allied organizations believe these steps are crucial to address the ongoing issues in the healthcare sector and ensure that the PHC fulfills its original mandate.
The doctors emphasized that the PHC must work transparently and effectively to improve healthcare standards and eliminate quackery, rather than becoming a source of further complications.