IHRA, DHS to join hands to enforce better medical care standards

Islamabad : The Islamabad Health Regularity Authority (IHRA) and the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), MCI, have reached an understanding whereby IHRA will maximise the experiences of DHS, and exercising its regulatory role, the two will develop various types of qualifying standards for the hospitals of Islamabad, which is the need of the hour.

A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between Hasan Orooj, Director General of DHS, MCI, and Dr. Quaid Saeed, Chief Executive Officer of the IHRA. Emphasising the need to enhance the quality of medical care being offered by hospitals, laboratories and other types of healthcare institutions in Islamabad, they committed to cooperate with each other in a more systematic manner.

In this context, DHS has done some work such as development and categorisation of healthcare facilities (HCFs), high-risk mapping of various sectors, development of the Islamabad Health Equity Model, and registration of Islamabad in the WHO's Healthy Cities network.

IHRA, though a recently conceived organization, has done some important work such as digital mapping of all HCFs and developing SOPs and Terms of Reference for them. It is presently working on registration of clinics, hospitals and laboratories and streamlining the hearing process in case of patient complaints.

In addition, IHRA and DHS have jointly agreed to work on all those faculties and services which have the potential to raise the quality of hospitals and bring them at par with international standards, promote medical tourism, conduct trainings, and evaluate all faculties of healthcare providers beyond allopathic. Beyond healthcare establishments, IHRA and DHS will also coordinate in areas such as quality of homecare providers and ethical practices, etc.

DHS, which was conceived in 1984, has an institutional memory and practice in Islamabad, and had traditionally been responsible for conducting inspections, and issuing instructions and advisories to Health Care Facilities in urban Islamabad.

IHRA has been established with similar functions and is objectively focused on enhancing the quality of medical care through regulations inspections of the hospitals and all types of healthcare premises.