PESHAWAR: Legal issues have been hampering health department`s plan to extend jurisdiction of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission to Malakand division.

The Healthcare Commission was established under the law passed by the provincial assembly in January 2015 to regulate healthcare activities and set standards for private and public health facilities and diagnostic outlets to ensure quality services to the people throughout the province.

`However, the commission is not operational in seven districts of Malakand division, governed as Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) by the federal government,` sources said. They added that a letter sent by health department to Ministry of Saf ron a few months ago was returned with observations that provincial governmentdidn`t have legal authority to extend its law to the area.

The health department wants HCC`s extension to Malakand to register clinics, hospitals and laboratories etc there like other parts of the province.

Sources said that provincial government answered the observations, saying Swat, Buner, Chitral, Shangla, Swat, Dir Upper and Lower were parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the population there should be allowed to benefit from the law that was aimed at improving patients` care.

They said that provincial health department had full-fledged administrative setup in Pata and denying access to HCC would only benefit the people, who were involved in illegal medical practices. The health department is awaiting response of Safron regarding its plan.

Sources said that HCC Act was passed by provincial assembly that had representation of all the districts of Malakand.

Dr Mohammad Zaf ar, the chairman of Board of Governors of HCC, told Dawn that provincial government had informed federal government about the legal issues with regard to starting activities there. `The plan is aimed at ensuring quality medicines,treatment andinvestigativefacilityinMalaknd. We hope to extend HCC to Malakand after go-ahead from the centre,` he added.

Dr Zafar said that home and tribal affairs and health departments were in contact with Islamabad to materialise the plan. He said that government had approved Rs100 million fund for the year 2017-18 due to which they would be able to expedite work of the commission.

The HCC f aced a long delay to take of f as it was established in early 2015 but failed to work to a desired level owing to shortage of staff and resources.

Dr Zafar said the health department had presence in Malakand and HCC could start work there easily. `We conduct raids on medical stores and hospitals to check facilities and take action against them. One assistant commissioner is member of the team, which carries out inspection in the presence of district administration,` he said.

Dr Zafar said that government had also approved amendment in HCC Act to explain the offences and punishments in clear terms and ensure compliance of the law.

Sources said that Saidu Medical College in Swat was not covered by Medical Teaching Reforms Institutions Act, 2015 because it was located in Pata.