PHC, doctors agree to categorise hospitals

LAHORE
The Punjab Healthcare Commission, Pakistan Medical Association and various organisations of doctors have agreed to divide the hospitals into different categories.
According to a press release issued on Thursday, various organisations of doctors, Medical Association of Punjab, Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians, Medical Teachers Association, Pakistan Society of Family Physicians, Private Hospitals Association, Associations of Family Physicians, Family Medicines and Punjab Healthcare Commission agreed on a seven-point agenda during a meeting.
According to a announcement of the Punjab Health Commission, hospitals of category-II, which consist of less than 50 beds, have been divided in three sub-categories. Sub-category-II/A will comprise hospitals of 31 to 50 beds, sub-category II/B will comprise hospitals of 16 to 30 beds and sub-category II/C will comprise hospitals of 1 to 15 beds. The existing categories II MSDS will be revised and will remain within the framework of the Punjab Healthcare Commission and Scheme MSDS for sub-category II/B and sub-category II/C will be evolved with the mutual consultation.
Licensing fee of category III and II, keeping in view the ground realities, will be revised with mutual agreement and fixed till August 15. In order to improve the present regulations, recommendations of stakeholders will be considered.
All the organisations will direct their members to fulfil the legal demands and immediately register under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010 and get licence so that recent campaign against quackery could be made successful.
It was also agreed that all-out cooperation would be extended during the implementation of the rules of the Punjab Healthcare Commission. Representatives of all the organisations expressed their full support for the campaign of Punjab chief minister Punjab against quackery.