08/09/2018
Patient Rights and Safety is the hallmark of any healthcare system. Under the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, it remains the responsibility of the State to ensure provision of healthcare to the people. Subsequent to the introduction of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Concurrent list has been abolished and this responsibility has been devolved to the provincial Governments. In order to fulfill this constitutional obligation, the Government of Punjab has established an elaborate infrastructure for the delivery of healthcare services and has also set up medical institutions/medical colleges to cater for the needs of trained medical, nursing and paramedic human resource. Realizing the fact that the healthcare delivery system both in the public as well as private sectors lacks standardization and is largely unregulated, the Punjab Government promulgated the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010 (Act XVI of 2010), to establish the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) as an independent health regulatory body with the primary mandate to introduce a regime of clinical governance thus ensuring improvement in the quality of healthcare services. This enactment also mandates the Commission to ban quackery in all its forms and manifestations. This function of the PHC has become all the more important in the wake of substantial increase in the number of cases of medical negligence by widespread unchecked providers of medical services who are mostly un-registered and unqualified persons (popularly known as quacks) as well as by the medical professionals which were reported by the media.
The PHC has emerged as a key organization to regulate the healthcare system through registration and licensing of all types of healthcare establishments in public as well as private sectors, by addressing the complaints and by taking cognizance of such malpractices. The PHC has initiated the process of developing and enforcing Minimum Services Delivery Standards (MSDS) in all healthcare establishments in Punjab including Allopathic, Homeopathic and Unani systems of healthcare. Though all medical professionals are registered and regulated by their respective Councils according to their respective laws/rules/regulations, the review shows that there is lack of coordinated and structured mechanisms to exclusively address the issues related to the quackery. The Government has been launching Anti Quackery campaigns from time to time on reported incidences by using mixed clauses of Drug Act 1976, Allopathic System (Prevention of Misuse) Ordinance, Medical and Dental Degree Ordinance and Rules framed thereunder. Unfortunately, these laws/rules do not provide for stringent corporal and financial penalties to restrict or check quackery, as the culprits are mostly bailed out with a negligible fines.
In view of this situation, the PHC has developed this document proposing a multi-pronged Anti-Quackery Strategies covering the following activities for fulfilling its mandate:
Acceleration of Registration & Licensing of all healthcare establishments (Allopathic, Homeopathic & Tibb) through enforcement and monitoring of MSDS in order to exclude the unqualified and unregistered practitioners.
Persuade the Health Department to enforce the available Laws/ Rules to check the quackery.
Propose to the Health Department, Government of the Punjab to notify Inter-departmental Task Force/Steering Committee headed by senior officials to oversee the implement of strategic Anti Quackery plans both at provincial & district levels.
Set up Anti Quackery Cell within PHC for coordination of implementation & enforcement of Anti-Quackery activities.
Develop a data base of Healthcare providers at the provincial and district level.
Organizing Public Awareness Campaigns to promote patient rights and safety and the importance of the quality healthcare.
Pursue the Health Department to address the systemic issues of unmet needs through introducing Health Sector Reforms proposed in the Punjab Health sector strategy.
We are confident that these strategic actions would act as linchpin and guide to frame policies and procedures to eliminate quackery in the province and strengthen any quackery drives of the Health Department.
