KARACHI: Dow University Hospital has become the first public sector general hospital in Sindh to receive a Regular License from the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), marking a significant milestone in the state's efforts to strengthen healthcare quality, patient safety and regulatory compliance across public sector hospitals.
The Regular License was formally presented during a ceremony attended by senior officials from the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) and Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), including Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nazli Hossain, Chief Executive Officer of SHCC Dr Ahson Qavi Siddiqi, Pro Vice Chancellors Prof Dr Jahan Ara Hasan, Prof Dr Sajida Qureshi and Prof Dr Zahid Azam, alongside faculty members, healthcare professionals and administrative leaders.
The recognition follows Dow University Hospital's successful compliance with the healthcare quality standards prescribed by the Sindh Healthcare Commission, covering patient safety, infection prevention and control, clinical governance, quality management systems, documentation practices and regulatory requirements. Hospital leadership described the achievement as the outcome of years of institutional reforms aimed at embedding quality improvement into everyday clinical practice rather than treating compliance as a one-time exercise.
During the ceremony, Prof Dr Jahan Ara Hasan outlined the hospital's journey from obtaining a provisional licence to securing a Regular License, highlighting the systematic implementation of standard operating procedures, quality assurance mechanisms, regular internal audits and continuous monitoring across clinical and administrative departments. She said the process reflected a collective institutional commitment to delivering safe, accountable and patient-centred healthcare while strengthening governance throughout the hospital.
Addressing the gathering, SHCC Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahson Qavi Siddiqi congratulated Dow University Hospital on becoming the first public sector general hospital in Sindh to achieve the milestone and said the award should encourage other government hospitals to pursue the same standards of excellence. He stressed that obtaining a healthcare licence should be viewed as the beginning of a continuous quality improvement journey rather than the final objective, adding that maintaining standards requires sustained leadership, institutional commitment and regular evaluation.
Referring to recent reports concerning alleged HIV transmission linked to unsafe injection practices at a hospital in Karachi's SITE area, Dr Siddiqi underscored the importance of ethical medical practice, infection prevention and professional accountability. He observed that while regulations and quality systems are essential, patient safety ultimately depends on the integrity and responsibility of healthcare professionals. He also emphasised that effective communication, proper medical documentation and informed consent are fundamental components of quality healthcare, noting that many complaints arise from communication gaps rather than clinical negligence alone.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nazli Hossain described the award as a reflection of the dedication demonstrated by the hospital's faculty, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and administrative teams. She said maintaining healthcare quality requires continuous self-assessment, periodic audits, policy reviews and effective grievance redressal mechanisms, adding that patient feedback should be regarded as an opportunity for institutional learning and service improvement rather than criticism.
Prof Dr Nazli Hossain further highlighted that Dow University of Health Sciences has integrated communication skills, informed consent, artificial intelligence, medical documentation, interprofessional education and patient-centred care into its academic curriculum to prepare future healthcare professionals for modern clinical practice. She noted that producing technically competent clinicians alone is no longer sufficient, and that healthcare education must also strengthen professionalism, ethics and patient engagement.
Dr Siddiqi also called for greater emphasis on quality management principles within undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, saying future healthcare professionals should receive structured training in patient rights, infection control, documentation standards and communication skills alongside clinical competencies. He noted that strengthening these areas is essential for building public confidence in Pakistan's healthcare system and improving the overall quality of care delivered to patients.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of commemorative shields to departments and individuals who played key roles in the hospital's licensing process, recognising their contributions to achieving regulatory compliance and quality standards. As public hospitals across Pakistan continue to face increasing demands for safer, more accountable healthcare services, Dow University Hospital's achievement is expected to serve as an important benchmark for other government healthcare institutions seeking to strengthen quality systems, enhance patient safety and build greater public trust in healthcare delivery.
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