PMA Wants Healthcare Commission to Be Free Body

KARACHI - Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has announced adopting no licensing, no registration policy till reconstitution of Punjab Healthcare Commission as an independent and vibrant regulatory body.

Addressing a press conference at PMA House, PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami said that the medics bodies would not cooperate with the PHC till acceptance of demands relating to its effective working.  Flanked by other office-bearers including Dr Izhar Chaudhry, Dr Kamran Saeed, Dr Ajmal Naqvi, Dr Wajid Ali and Dr Tanvir Anwar and representatives of family physicians bodies Dr Tariq Mian and Dr Altaf Cheema, he said that noncooperation would continue till devising a workable policy to eliminate quackery.

Dr Ashraf Nizami said that other conditions were appointment of COO PHC in light of the law, formation of technical advisory committee, implementation of minimum service delivery standards at public sector hospitals and financial and work audit of PHC.

He alleged that PHC has not made any serious effort to curb the menace of quackery. He said that isolated incidents of sealing unauthorized clinics were merely eyewash. He said that the PMA offered unconditional support for making PHC a vibrant body. But, he said, it was unfortunate that blatant violation of the act and posting of blue-eyed on key posts has made PHC a toothless body.

He said that decisions in the absence of advisory committee were unlawful. He said that Chairman and COO were responsible for illegal decisions. He reiterated that the PMA and other bodies would not cooperate with PHC till acceptance of all legitimate demands.–Staff reporter