LAHORE:The Institute of Public Health (IPH) in collaboration with Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has developed revised Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) for pathological laboratories and a pilot project is being started from Lahore.
The commission will soon introduce revised MSDS to clinical laboratories of other major cities as well. “For the assessment of implementation of MSDS by the laboratories, a team of volunteer pathologists on behalf of PHC will inspect the clinical labs and give their report to the healthcare commission. Its aim is to improve the quality of clinical laboratories,” said Dean IPH Prof Dr Zarfashan Tahir while addressing a training workshop organised at the institute in collaboration with Punjab Healthcare Commission on the revised Minimum Service Delivery Standards and assessment of the laboratories.
PHC adviser Dr Zahid Asghar, Director Mushtaq, pathologists of private clinical laboratories, representatives of laboratories of different public and private hospitals of Punjab, and IPH staff participated in the training workshop. Prof Dr Zarfashan Tahir IPH is working shoulder to shoulder in the efforts of the Punjab Healthcare Commission to provide quality treatment and diagnostic facilities to the people of the province.
Punjab Healthcare Commission Director Dr Mushtaq said that a new procedure has been set up for checking and monitoring laboratories in the province, which will enable monitoring of diagnostic labs to be done effectively and to further improve their performance and quality. In this regard, volunteer pathologists were invited to a piloting event to make them aware of the Health Care Commission's procedures, TORs and assessment procedure.
Dr Mushtaq informed the participants of the workshop about MSDS of clinical laboratories and inspection tools of clinical laboratories through a detailed briefing. Dr Zahid Asghar said that there are more than 1,800 clinical laboratories in the province but so far only 900 are registered with PHC. It depends more on the clinical lab report, so correct diagnosis is of fundamental importance for correct treatment.
Dr Mushtaq Sulehria hoped that by implementing the Revised Minimum Service Delivery Standards for pathological laboratories, the performance of the said labs will be improved and quality diagnostic facilities will be available to the public.
Dean Institute of Public Health Dr Zarfashan Tahir said that IPH is collaborating with many international and local organisations to improve public health and prevent diseases. A memorandum of cooperation has also been signed with the commission under which IPH will continue its cooperation with PHC for the improvement of the health sector and development of the health care system and institutions for manpower training, research and awareness.
